Friends Like These

CREDIT S LEAD DEVELOPER Tim Flanders

MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Andy Christensen

WRITING AND ADDITION AL DEVELOPM ENT Ryan Brooks and Keith Kappel

PRODUCTI ON COORDINA TION Marcia Colby. Jason Glawe. Liza Lundgren. and Johanna Whiting

EDITING AND PROOFREA DING Christine Crabb and David Johnson

PRODUCTI ON MANAGEM ENT Megan Duehn

MANAGING RPG PRODUCER Sam Stewart

Simone Elliott and Amanda Greenhart

GAME LINE GRAPHIC DESIGN EDGE Studio, David Ardila, and Chris Beck

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Navaro

EXPANSIO N GRAPHIC DESIGN Chris Beck and Scott Nicely

EXECUTIVE GAME DESIGNER Corey Konieczka

GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Michael Hurley

LICENSING

Brian Schomburg

PUBLISHER Christian T. Petersen

COVERAR T Tomasz Jedruszek and Ryan Valle INTERIOR ART Pedro Amato. Cristi Balanescu. Madeline Boni. Matt Bradbury, Micah Epstein. Tony Foti. Mariusz Gandzel. Blake Henriksen. Marko Horvatin, Tomasz Jedruszek. Jeff Lee Johnson. Skott Kilander. Priscilla Kim. Mark Molnar. Christopher A Peuler. Siim Rimm. Emilio Rodriguez. Andrea Shoemaker. Stephen Somers. Preston Stone. Darren Tan. Eva Maria Toker. Ryan va11e. Jimmy Zhang, Timothy Ben Zweifel. and the Lucasfilm art archives

ART DIRECTION John Taillon

PIAYTESTE RS Playtes~ Coordina~or Zach _Tewalthomas. "Clan Regan· Hobbie Regan with Jennifer Regan, Patrick Regan. N1~hola~ Regan .. "The Emperor Protects· Jamie Lewis with Bnan Lewis. Skyler Latshaw, and Tim Latshaw. "Dragon Squadron· Ian "GM Hooly" Houlihan with Martin Thomas Flanagan. Michael Hurrell, Patrick Knight. Thom Lynch. Peter Pfeffer. and Harris Shafruddin. "Power Gamer's Union (Local 404)" Phil Maiewski with Brett Bowen. Kimber Bowen. Kirk Charest. Mike Coleman. Noah Harris. and Andrew Maiewski. "Low Rollers· J_ay Wantland with Teresa Wa~tland and Sean Leary. The Anoz,ra Sector Rangers Vince Shelzo with Ian Dimitri. Max Stanford. Cody Mcclellan, Mike Keever.

LUCAS LICENS ING CREATIVE DIRECTOR Michael Siglain

SENIOR EDITOR Frank Parisi

FANTASY FLIGHT

LUCASFILM STORY GROUP Leland Chee. Pablo Hidalgo, and Matt Martin

Fantasy Flight Games 1995 West County Road 82 Roseville. MN 551 13

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Printed in China ISBN 978-1-63344 -299-3

Product Code: SWA4 I

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CONTENTS Introduction ....... ...... ..... .. ....... ..... ..... .... ....... .... .. ... ... 5 Adventure Overview ... ..... .............. ........................... 5 New Species: Mandalorian Human .......................... 7 Game Preparation .. .... .. ... .............. .... .. ..................... 8 Integrating Player Characters ...... .... .................... 9 Mass Combat ......................................................... I 0 Episode I: Trouble on Xorrn ................... ............. 13 Xorrn .......... ............. ................................................ 14 A Plea for Help ....... .................... .......... ... ... .... .. ..... . 15 Imminent Danger ... ..... .... ............ ... .. .......... 18 Evaluating the Facilities ............................... .... ..... .. 22 The Search for Allies .. ....................................... ...... 27 Solidarity ........................ .. .. ..... .. ............................. 29 Episode 11: Courting Mandalorians ...... ..... ......... 33 Vlemoth Port ......................................................... 34 Mandalorian Meet and Greet ................................. 35

Welcome to Arumorut .. ...... .... ..... .......................... 39 Killing Time ... .... .. ...................................... 40 In Lieu of Payment... .. ...... ... ... .. .............................. 4 7 Episode Ill: The Zygerrian Paradox .. ................. 51

Kowak .................. ..... ...... ......... ..... .. ........................ 52 Mean Streets ... ................ .... .......... ....................... 53 Party Crashers ............. ........................... .. ........ 57 Repo Business ...................... .................................. 63 A Royal Welcome................... ................................. 71 Damage Control. ............... .. ....... .. ... ........................ 7 3 Episode IV: The Battle of Xorrn .. ....... .......... .... 75 Preparing for Battle ........... ......... ......... .............. 76 Orbital Battleground (Phases 1-3) ................... .. . 77 Graveyard Battleground (Phases 4-6) ................. . 84 Foundry Four Battleground (Phases 7-9) .............. 90 Backs to the Wall..................... ... ... .. ................. 93

INTRODUCTION RIENDS L1KE T HESE is a full-length adventure for the Star Wars: AcE OF REBELLION Roleplaying Game. This adventure is intended for Player Characters (PCs) with more experience than green recruits (for PCs with around 150xp beyond character creation). At its core, the story explores what happens when the PCs are faced with having to make hard choices for the sake of broader victory against the Galactic Empire, and how they make the best of a situation when all the options are bad. In order to prevent the loss of an outlaw repair yard, vital to the Rebels hidden on the surface of the remote world of Xorrn, the PCs must race against the clock and recruit allies to help defend it from an impending Imperial attack. Unfortunately, potential allies in the surrounding systems are limited, and the PCs are forced to court a company of Mandalorian mercenaries and a Zygerrian slaver prince for assistance.

Players who continue reading risk spoiling the adventure for themselves. In this introduction, the Game Master (GM) can find the following information to help prepare for the campaign:

This adventure includes location gazetteers for Foundry Four on the barren world of Xorrn and its orbital repair yard; the frigid industrial planet Vlemoth Port; and Kowak, the verdant jungle home of the notorious Kowakian monkey-lizard. Also included in this book are a variety of vehicle and adversary profiles and Mandalorian humans. This module also includes optional Mass Combat rules for handling large-scale combat encounters.

• Game Preparation: Instructions for the GM on how to use this book and run this adventure.

F

• Adventure Overview: A big-picture guide to the plot progression of the adventure. • Adventure Background: Information to set the stage for the events in the module. •

Important Characters: A quick rundown of the major Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and their motivations and roles in the adventure.

• Adventure Summary: Detailed outlines of the general course of events in each of the three episodes. •

New Playable Species: Profiles for Mandalor ian humans as a playable species.

•

Integrating the PCs: Guidelines for incorporating PCs' backgrounds and Motivations into the main story arc and subplots.

•

Mass Combat Checks: A presentation of the Mass Combat rules utilized throughout this adventure module.

ADVENTURE OVERVIEW

F

is an adventure in which difficult choices must be made for the greater good of the galaxy. In Episode I, the PCs head to a defenseless black market repair yard in the Xorrn system and are asked to help repel an imminent Imperial invasion. In Episode II, their search for allies leads them to Viemoth Port to sway a group of Mandalorian mercenaries to their cause. Still outnumbered, the PCs make for Kowak to convince a royal Zygerrian slaver to join the fight in Episode Ill. The battle begins in Episode IV, which pits the allied forces against captain Nervi's Imperial task force. The defenders must hold their ground until a reinforcement fleet arrives. RIENDS L1KE THESE

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Years before the Clone Wars, the Geonosians constructed hidden droid foundries on the desolate world of Xorrn. Discovering it during the Clone Wars. the Republic bombarded the planet from orbit, slagging dozens of defending Trade Federation core ships in the process. Convinced all of the world's foundries were destroyed, the Republic quickly forgot the planet.

A few years later, a group of former Separatist sympathizers and freedom fighters on Gall fled to Xorrn to evade the Empire. The refugees were only aware of Xorrn because one of their number had participated in its bombardment during the Clone Wars. As luck would have it. one of the foundries-Foundry Fourwas easily restored, giving the expatriates a source of income. Xorrn currently serves as a repair yard for pirates, mercenaries, and Rebels looking to avoid Imperial notice. Unfortunately, Captain Nervi has a plan to locate the Rebel Fleet that involves invading Xorrn. He took his adjutant, Lieutenant Nath Alico, into his confidence; however, little did he know that Alico was an agent of the Rebellion, working undercover in the Imperial Navy. Aware that Xorrn is a resource vital to the Rebel Alliance, Agent Alice was able to give her superiors a few days' warning in advance of the attack. She can only hope that there is enough time for the locals to marshal a suitable defense.

INTRODUCTION

F'RENDS LIi(£ 11tESE

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS

EPISODE II: COURTING MANDALORIANS

Portrayal of the key NPCs in F RIENDS LIKE T HESE is important to running a successful game. The following NPCs play significant roles in parts of the adventure, and the GM is encouraged to become familiar with them.

Potential allies in the region are difficult to find, and the best of the bad options are the Mandalorian mercenaries of Vlemoth Port. The PCs meet Mandalorian mercenary Kad Solus at Vlemoth Station, but they aren't the only ones to find him. After an intense fracas, Solus takes them to the settlement of Arumorut on the planet below. At Arumorut. the PCs learn about their potential new allies while awaiting a meeting with their chieftain. Eventually, Vera Beroya meets with the PCs and negotiates a contract to help defend Foundry Four.

• Cacique Kai Coorsa: The ruling member of the Clan Assembly at Foundry Four and grandson of former Cacique Jans Coorsa, Kai Coorsa is depending on allies in the Rebellion and the criminal underworld to defend his home against the Imperials (see page 20). •

Patrician Lira Hardin: The patrician of the Hardin family on the Clan Assembly, Chief Engineer Lira Hardin leads Foundry Four's team of engineers and technicians (see page 20).

• Captain Ralchio Nervi: An ambitious Imperial Navy officer attached to the Tolonda Overseetor under Grand Moff Ravik, Captain Nervi is launching a secret assault on Xorrn designed to look like a training exercise. He hopes to use the location to deliver the Rebel Fleet to the Emperor, as well as to erase his own mysterious past (see page 78) • Chieftain Vera Beroya: The young and battlehardened Mandalorian chieftain of Clan Awaud on Vlemoth Port, Beroya recently lost her father to a Zygerrian slaver raid (see page 49). • Prince Sono Molec: Heir to the throne of the Zygerrian Slave Empire and ruler of the slaver outpost on Kowak, Molec holds considerable influence along the Slavers' Chain Hyperspace Route (see page 62).

ADVENTURE SUMMARY This section describes the main plot line of the adventure in detail. However, depending on the PCs' decisions, the events may turn out differently. See Game Preparation, on page 8, for more information.

EPISODE I: TROUBLE ON XORRN At the start of the adventure, the PCs receive a message instructing them to travel to Xorrn. There, the secret Ferra Sector Shipyard, hidden in orbit in the ruins from the Clone Wars, is under Imperial threat. The Imperials plan to invade in two days. When they do, if the PCs can help the locals hold out for a few hours under Imperial attack, reinforcements already on their way should arrive just in time to prevent the shipyard's destruction. The PCs take time to help the Cacique plan the defense of Foundry Four before searching the surrounding systems for allies.

INTRODUCTION

FRIENDS LIi(£ ntESE

EPISODE Ill: THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX Even with the assistance of the Mandalorians, the PCs need more help. They have no choice but to head to Kowak to solicit the aid of the nefarious Zygerrian slavers. Upon arriving on Kowak, the PCs meet the worst scum the galaxy has to offer, including Zygerrian Prince Molec, who refuses to negotiate until he regains the Prince's Sword. The PCs eventually discover the Prince's Sword isn't a royal artifact, but the missing father of the Mandalorian chieftain, Vera Beroya. The PCs have to decide what is more important: giving Xorrn the best chance of survival, or taking a stand against slavery. No matter what the PCs decide, they soon return to Xorrn with their new allies. However, getting everyone to work together might be even more difficult than the coming battle.

EPISODE IV: THE BATTLE OF XORRN The time of the Imperial invasion grows near, and the PCs must make last-minute plans before getting into position. Imperial Captain Ralchio Nervi brings a sizable force to the Xorrn system and overwhelms the meager forces in orbit. The Imperials push the allied forces back through the core ship graveyard on Xorrn's surface, and to the landing shafts. The defenders make the Imperials pay for every meter of ground, but the odds are terribly stacked against the sentinels of Xorrn. Allied forces retreat to the vertical landing shafts, where they try to dig in and make a stand. While they delay the Imperials for a while, they are eventually overrun there, too. The Empire is able to push the locals into the bowels of Foundry Four and pin them against their control center. There, the PCs learn Captain Nervi was once a denizen of Foundry Four, and in addition to advancing his career, he hopes to erase any potential skeletons in his family closet. Just when all seems hopeless, the reinforcements arrive, hammering Captain Nervi's forces against the anvil that is Xorrn. The secret of Xorrn's true nature becomes safe from the Empire once again.

NEW SPECIES he events of deal closely with a culture whose history is woven throughout the T galaxy: the people of Mandalore. This section offers

their revenge. They were ultimately defeated, but members remain in hiding on Mandalore and Concordia, awaiting the next call to arms.

detailed rules for the Mandalorian humans, allowing players in AcE oF REsELuoN to create characters from that proud culture. GMs may wish to strongly consider the ramifications of allowing their players to make Mandalorian characters for use in FRIENDS L1KE THESE, as their allegiance to one of the major factions may fundamentally change the outcome of this adventure.

The Old Mandalorians also endured exile after the Civil War. However, rather than plot revenge on Concordia, many resettled elsewhere in the galaxy. Concord Dawn, Gargon, Ordo, and Vlemoth Port are but a few of the worlds that support Mandalorian expatriates. Here, the Mandalorians live as they have for millennia, working for the highest bidder. Old Mandalorians are consid· erect honorable and dangerously competent amongst their deadly trade. They prioritize their family and clan above all else, and train as warriors from a young age.

FRIENDS L1KE THESE

MANDALORIAN HUMANS

The Mandalorians are among the most feared and recognizable combatants in the galaxy. Respected as members of the pinnacle of warrior cultures, most Mandalorians receive comprehensive combat training during adolescence. While Mandalorians once united to launch great crusades that reshaped galactic borders, they are now fractured and strewn about the galaxy, wielding little power. Physiology: Mandalorians are typically humans, though their practice of adoption allows members of any species to be raised within Mandalorian culture. Despite their reputation as fearsome warriors with keen tactical minds. there are no significant biological or physiological differences between Mandalorian humans and baseline humans. Oddly enough, there are no recorded instances of Force sensitivity appearing in Mandalorian society, though this might be owed to a lack of Jedi testing and Republic record keeping. Society: Mandalorian society traditionally centered around warfare. Throughout history, its members fought for both honor and credits with equal fervor. Recently, Mandalorian culture has fractured into three separate groups: The New Mandalorians. The Death Watch, and the Old Mandalorians.

The New Mandalorians followed Duchess Satine Kryze during the Clone Wars, and believed in moving Mandalorian culture beyond its warrior past. These pacifist Mandalorians believed in the potential economic power of Mandalore, built around the export of Beskar, or Mandalorian Iron. With complete control of the beskar mines, the New Mandalorians, after years of civil war, wrested control of their homeworld and steered their people onto a more peaceful path. Unfortunately, it was not to last. When the New Mandalorians rose from the ashes of Mandalore's Civil War, they banished unrepentant warrior-clans to the moon of Concordia. The Death Watch is the most infamous group, known for their bloodthirsty savagery and desire for conquest. During the Clone Wars, the Death Watch returned to exact

Homeworld: Mandalore is a planet scarred by years of civil war. While lush forests, lakes, and mountains once covered the planet, it is now predominantly barren wasteland. Inhabitants are forced to live in domed cities, such as Sundari, the capital during the reign of Duchess Kryze·s New Mandalorians. Sundari enclosed one of the largest active beskar mines on Mandalore, making it a major strategic asset. Presently, the Empire has control of Mandalore, where it operates an Imperial Academy. Language: Mando'a is the traditional language of the Mandalorians, though most also speak fluent Basic. Mando'a is especially popular among the Old Mandalorians. who find the language allows a greater degree of precision in speech when discussing combat. In addition to a more traditional alphabet, Mandalorians also used a set of glyphs unique to their society that adorned armor, vehicles, items, and buildings.

NAVIGATING THE TOLONDA OVERSECTOR Any time the party needs to make a hyperspace jump during FRIENDS L1Ke THese, the GM should call for a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Astrogation check. Success means the base time for the jump is equal to the time indicated on Table 0-1 : Travel Times for the jump's origin and endpoint Each (j or @ can reduce or increase the travel time by fifteen minutes. @ or@ can reduce or increase the travel time by an hour, or cause a hyperspace mishap. A failed check adds another two hours to the base travel time. After resolving the check to determine the base time. multiply the base time by the ship's hyperdrive class to get the final travel time.

HIDDEN APPROACH While Captain Nervi has no probe droids or other intelligence assets in the Xorrn system prior to the

TABLE 0-1: TRAVEL TIMES

invasion, the party might be under the impression that he does. If so, during each return trip to Xorrn, they might seek to find a way to sneak back to avoid any probes or scouts. An Average C♦ ♦) Astrogation or Knowledge (Warfare) check reveals that the best way to do this is to jump to the far side of the Xorrn system and stay between its star and the planet Xorrn. Having the sun at their back can confound sensors and help the PCs keep a low profile. This requires the pilot of the party's ship to lead the group by making a Hard C♦ ♦ ♦) Stealth check. While failing this check won't actually alert Captain Nervi, it may cause a ship mishap that costs the party time or makes their next jump more difficult

INTEGRATING PLAYER CHARACTERS o help incorporate the PCs into the adventure, the players should determine what backgrounds they have, if this was not done during character creation, and establish how those backgrounds affect their allegiance with Xorrn's Foundry Four.

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NEW DR REPLACEMENT CHARACTERS ircumstances sometimes ari se in which it becomes necessary to introduce a new PC to a campaign in the middle of an adventure. Existing PCs may get captured or killed, or a new player might join the group or replace a departing member. F RIENDS L1KE T HESE provides several opportunities for incorporating new PCs into the party.

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In Episode I, a new PC could be a member of Foundry Four's personnel who assists the gr oup at a key moment. In Episode II , the party cou ld meet a new PC on board Vlemoth Station or at Ar umorut. In Episode Ill , the new PC might be a slave in t he prince's holding pens. Alternatively, t he horrors of war cou ld d rive an Imperial agent to defect in Episode IV, offering to join the PCs.

REBEL AGENTS In Ace oF REBELLION, a group of experienced Rebel operatives should have a Contribution rank of 2 or higher. meaning the PCs should be the best agents within range of Foundry Four. As the mission is presented to the PCs. they learn about the Ferra Sector Shipyard, its importance to the Rebel Alliance. and the Imperial threat against it. The GM should use the PCs' previous exploits to come up with a suitable link from their last adventure to this one or draw upon a specific PC's Duty to lead the group into this adventure.

SCALING DIFFICULTY While this module is intended for PCs who have earned and spent 150 XP or more. the GM can scale the adventure down for parties of new recruits by removing minions from adversary groups, decreasing the defenses and wound thresholds of rivals and nemeses. and subtracting ranks from NPCs' characteristics and skills.

INTRODUCTION

FRIEN>S Uk£ THESE

MASS COMBAT everal major encounters in F RIENDS L1KE T HESE make use of Mass Combat checks to demonstrate the ebb and flow of the large-scale battles in which the PCs participate. The most important of these is the battle of Xorrn. in Episode IV. This battle takes place on a series battlegrounds. As the Player Characters have no hope of winning the battle on their own, their primary objective is to slow the Imperial advance long enough to give their Rebel reinforcements time to arrive. As such, each battleground specifies a number of mass combat phases that must take place before the Imperial forces push through to the next battleground. Each of these phases takes a set amount of in-game time, though the results of that phase's Mass Combat check can alter the actual time spent on a given battlefield.

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There are two sides to a mass combat: the acting force and the enemy force. These terms are important, as they determine how the dice pool is built and how the results of a Mass Combat check influence the flow of the battle, as detailed below. During the battle of Xorrn, the Player Characters and their allies make up the acting force while the enemy force consists of the Imperial attackers.

BUILDING A MASS COMBAT DICE POOL Building the dice pool for a Mass Combat check is like building any other dice pool, with a few exceptions noted in this section. These rules cast the PCs and their allies as the acting force and the Imperials as the enemy force. To build the dice pool for a Mass Combat check, use the following steps:

I. Ability and Difficulty Dice: The acting force encompasses the combined infantry, vehicles, and starfighters working together to defeat a common enemy. Depending on the battle, this might comprise a faction's entire force. or the forces in one location for a battle with multiple fronts. The size and competence of the acting and enemy forces determines the number of Ability and Difficulty dice, according to Table 0-2: Force Strength.

2. Proficiency and Challenge Dice: Upgrade ◊ a number of times equal to the acting force's commander's ranks in the Leadership skill. Upgrade ♦ a number of times equal to the enemy force's commander's ranks in the Leadership skill. This represents the force's tactics, organization, and morale.

3. Boost and Setback Dice: Add Dor ■ to the Mass Combat check to reflect positioning and environmental conditions on the battlefield (such as fog, darkness, mountains, etc.). according to whether they work in favor of or against the acting force.

INTRODUCTION FRIEIES UICE T1tESI.

NARRATING MASS COMBAT ach Mass Combat check determ ines which side has momentum at the line of battle at a cut-away moment during the fight. With words, GMs can paint a picture of a wave of TIE fighters overwhelming a pair of Rebel starfighters, or give the details of a Mandalorian warrior using a jetpack to fly atop an AT-ST, open the hatch, and toss a pair of grenades inside before flying back to safety. A brief, memorable moment accompanying each Mass Combat check can help immerse the PCs in the planetary scale of combat, letting them feel that their actions could tip the balance.

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COMBAT RESOLUTION After building the dice pool for the Mass Combat check, one of the players (most often the player whose character is taking on the role of the active force commander) rolls the dice. This single roll is used to resolve the entirety of the phase. A phase is a flexible period as required by the story and the GM. It could represent a single round of combat, an hourslong engagement. or weeks of fighting in a single region of space.

t), @, @ . and @ can be spent narratively or by using the suggestions in Table 0-3: Spending t), @, @, and @ in Mass Combat, on page 11 .

COMBINED ARMS arely, if ever, are major battles fought between armed forces composed entirely of a single type of military element. Most often, an army or navy consists of several types of troops of varied capabilities, numbers, and experience. This can complicate the calculation of force strength when building the dice pool for a Mass Combat check. The forces listed in Table 0-2: Force Strength, on page 11, are recommendations and examples. A GM should use these as guidelines to assist in determining how many◊ and◊ to include in the pool.

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When forces include elements with various force strengths, it is recommended that the GM calculate the greatest force strength of any single element of the force, and increase the number of◊ or◊ by one to represent the aid of the other troops. In some instances, a force may be so numerous and so varied that the number of◊ of◊ could be increased by two.

TABLE 0-2: FORCE STRENGTH Trivial

◊ or ♦

Dozens of combat engineers or slave soldiers; platoon of refurbished B 1 battle droids or Imperial Army troopers; squadron of starfighters

Significant

◊◊ or ♦♦

Company of refurbished BI battle droids or Imperial Army troopers: platoon of Alliance infantry; squadron of combat-modified transports or freighters

Imposing

◊◊◊ or ♦♦♦

Platoon of Zygerrian Royal Guards; squadron of scratch-built STAPs; squad of refurbished droidekas; platoon of Imperial stormtroopers; several gunships; a single cruiser

Staggering

◊◊◊◊ or ♦♦♦♦

Platoon of Mandalorian warriors; company of Imperial stormtroopers; platoon of armored vehicles; a dozen anti-vehicle turrets; a single battleship

vast

◊◊◊◊◊ or ♦♦♦♦♦

Platoon of elite Mandalorian commandos: battalion of stormtroopers; multiple battleships

TABLE 0-3: SPENDING tJ,, @, {§>, AND @ IN MASS COMBAT Members of the acting force notice a key feature of the enemy force (enemy officer. weapon emplacement. etc.) and its position on the battlefield.

t) or@

All Player Characters with the acting force can recover l strain.

r

A previously unseen geographical feature of the battlefield (a vantage point atop wreckage. a rock formation. etc.) affords the acting force some advantage and allows it to upgrade the ability of the next Mass Combat check once as it exploits tha t feature.

t)t) or @

I

The acting force delays the enemy force in some particularly effective manner. increasing the time this mass combat phase takes by ten minutes.

I

The acting force disables an important component of the enemy force that provided the enemy an advantage in the battle (a walker. a fire team in an advantageous position. etc.).

t)t)t) or@

The acting force delivers a blow to the enemy leadership (shelling their command center, damaging communications equipment. partially jamming com ms. etc.). Downgrade the difficulty of the next Mass Combat check once. The acting force effectively removes the enemy force commander from the next phase of the mass combat (by physically incapacitating him, cutting him off entirely from his troops. destroying his comms. etc.) Unless a new enemy force commander steps up, the enemy force does not upgrade the difficulty of the next mass combat phase. The acting force drives the enemies back and forces them to regroup before they can continue. An additional mass combat phase must be fought at this battleground (taking all the additional time that entails) before the enemy forces press onward to the next battleground.

I @@ I

-

The PCs and NPCs involved with the acting force suffer I strain. @ or @

The fog of war creates confusion on the battlefield. Add ■ to the next Mass Combat check. as the acting force struggles to tell allies from enemies. Each members of the enemy force adds D to the first skill check they make during the next mass combat phase. (including enemies involved in the current phase's Target of Opportunity. if any. see page 81 ).

{§>,§~ or@ 1

Each member of the active force adds ■ to the first skill check they make during the next mass combat phase. (including enemies involved in the current phase's Target of Opportunity. if any. see page 81 ). The acting force is driven back more quickly than anticipated. reducing the time this mass combat phase takes by ten minutes.

--

<§> <§> <§> or @

A key weapon (vehicle. artillery piece. or air support) is deployed to the battlefield to reinforce the enemy force. Upgrade the difficulty of the next Mass Combat check once. The enemy force strikes at the leadership of the acting force. reducing the effectiveness of the acting force commander. The acting force downgrades the ability of the next Mass Combat check once.

@

The enemy force effectively removes the acting force commander from the next phase of the mass combat (by physically incapacitating him. cutting him off entirely from his troops, destroying his comms. etc.). Unless a new acting force commander steps up. the acting force does not upgrade the ability of the mass combat phase check during the next phase.

@@

The enemy immediately overruns the current battleground. skipping any remaining phases and driving the acting forces to retreat to the next battleground in line.

--

INTRODUCTION

FRIENDS UK£ THESE

A PLEA FOR HELP he party is on or orbiting a planet near the edge of T Hutt Space, such as Rodia, Ryloth, or Tatooine, when they receive an encoded message from Alliance Intelligence directing them to Xorrn. If the party has a specific contact in the Alliance who provides missions and objectives, that NPC can deliver the message. + + Affiance High Command+ + Agents, Affiance sympathizers on Xorrn desperately need your immediate assistance. Attached is an /FF transponder frequency to broadcast when you arrive. Meet with Cacique Coorsa of the Clan Assembly, and f'fl brief you fully onstation. Report to Xorrn with all possible speed; you are their only hope.

The message comes from an undisclosed sender, but it follows the encryption protocols the PCs expect for a legitimate High Command message.

RACE TO XORRN The pressure of an impending assault is a central element in FRIENDS L1KE T HESE, and the clock starts ticking as soon as the Player Characters receive the message. The coordinates are for a little-known Outer Rim world in the Ferra sector called Xorrn.

ARRIVAL AT XORRN Once the PCs come out of hyperspace in the Xorrn system. read the following aloud: A rust-colored world speckled with muddyorange clouds fills the viewport. Cutting across your approach vector, the faint black specks of a debris field resolve into a conglomeration of asteroids and starship wreckage as you draw closer. A massive bulk hauler rests anchored to the skeletal remains of a cruiser, likely conducting salvage.

As the ship approaches Xorrn, the party can broadcast the IFF frequency attachment from their message, identifying themselves. An incoming communication from Xorrn directs the party to Landing Shaft Besh and provides a set of coordinates on the surface.

XORRN ORBIT Xorrn orbit is littered with asteroids, as well as with detritus from the Clone Wars that has been drifting for more than a decade. These leftovers may prove salvageable, and they could be useful to creative players later in the adventure. The citizens of Foundry Four mostly keep to the protection offered beneath the surface, but the opportunity to refit starships with the components they produce has proven too tempting to keep them continuously underground. While their chief defense against discovery by the Empire as an illegal shipyard is Xorrn's status as "uninhabited," the families have still taken great efforts to hide the orbital repair yard within the wreck of an Acclamator-class cruiser.

DEBRIS CLOUD A vast debris field of asteroids and starship wreckage occupies much of the orbital space around Xorrn. The GM can call for various checks to let the PCs identify objects in the field and reveal the history of some of those items, should the PCs show interest: • Average C♦ ♦l Mechanics or Piloting (Space)

check wi th ■■: Identifies that the bulk hauler is not actually salvaging the skeletal remains; it is in fact a camouflaged repair yard. A player can spend t}, t}, or @ to recognize that the yard is refitting the hauler. • Hard C♦ ♦ ♦l Knowledge (Warfare) or Piloting (Space) check: Identifies the wreck as an Acclamator-class cruiser, and recalls a battle

that took place at Xorrn during the Clone Wars. A player can spend t}, tJ, t}, or @ to recognize that the ships were destroyed by orbital mines. • Formidable C♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦l Knowledge (Underworld), Knowledge (Outer Rim), or Streetwise check: The PC recognizes the lcarii- 7 (see page 16) as belonging to the daring Captain Skahvi Renlow, scourge of the Imperials along the Cranan-Excarga Hyperspace Route.

FERRA SECTOR SHIPYARD Only recently made operational, thanks to Lira Hardin and her team of engineers, the Ferra Sector Shipyard is a small repair slip hidden in Xorrn orbit. Though its grandiose name is perhaps overstated, it keeps the Empire looking elsewhere for a much larger facility. The yard is an 800-meter pillar of webbed metalwork hidden along the exposed underside of an Acclamator-class cruiser, with a 100-meter-long armature that slides along its entire length.

TROUBLE ON XORRN FRIENDS LIICE TMESE

The yard's primary function is to repair ships that are unable to use ports under Imperial control or oversight. However, the yard also refits bulk freighters and haulers, adding armor, armament, and hangar space to transform cargo ships into fearsome combatants for mercenaries, pirates. and increasingly the Rebel Alliance. A small team of engineers accomplishes this through judicious use of shipyard droids. Together. they mount weaponry produced on the surface and convert cargo bays into hangars. THE ICAR/1•7

The ship currently dry-docked at the Ferra Sector Shipyard is the lcarii-7, a pirate vessel belonging to Skahvi Renlow. The Togrutan scoundrel has harassed the Imperial forces along the hyperspace route for the last few years. If the PCs hail the docked ship, they receive a prerecorded message in a dull. bored voice speaking Basic that says, "Fortunately for you. you have caught the /carii-7 in a rare moment of idleness. Have no fear, your safety is sure to be short-lived. We shall soon ply the stars and terrorize your cargo once again. Now. be gone before you inspire us to villainy yet again." The /carii-7 is a Corellian Engineering Corporation BT-900 bulk transport, a popular ship that major corporations use to move vast loads of cargo across the galaxy. The 500-meter-long angular hull has a vertical bridge fin on its starboard side. and the Ferra Sector Shipyard is currently converting its main cargo hold into hangar space. Yard droids have been mounting additional banks of turbolasers, quad laser turrets, and ion cannons to Captain Skahvi Renlow·s specifications. The Togruta leads a misfit crew of former slaves and convicts.

The lcarii-7 has made the newsnets for a number of flashy raids targeting Imperial prison barges headed for the Bundi! system.

Hull Type/Class: Bulk transport/BT-900. Manufacturer: Corellian Engineering Corporation. Hyperdrive: Primary: Class 1, Backup: Class 15. Navicomputer: Yes. Sensor Range: Long. Ship's Complement: 129 (one captain, one pilot, one

co-pilot, one navigator, two sensor operators, three engineers, twenty gunners, 100 pirates and misfits). Vehicle Complement: Four shuttles of silhouette 4. Encumbrance Capacity: 70,000. Passenger Capacity: 65. Consumables: Two years. Price/Rarity: 9,900,000 credits/4. Customization Hard Points: 5. Weapons: Eight dorsal. six port, and six starboard medium turbolasers (Fire Arc Forward. Port, and Starboard or Forward and Port or Forward and Starboard; Damage 10; Critical 3: Range ILongl; Breach 3, Slow-Firing 1). Five forward heavy ion cannons (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 7; Critical 4; Range !Medium!; Ion, SlowFiring 1). Ten port and ten starboard quad laser turrets (Fire Arc Forward, Aft, and Port or Forward. Aft. and Starboard: Damage 5; Critical 3: Range IClosel: Accurate 1, Linked 3).

MAKING PLANETFALL

THE PHANTOM OF 6ALL

When the PCs are ready to land their ship, read the following aloud:

ans Coorsa was the Cacique of a small clan of a few thousand on Gall in the years preceding the Clone Wars. His people acted as supervisors in factories making parts for Rothana Heavy Engineering capital ships. Known as a staunch Separatist, Jans cheered the Gall council of elders' decision to ally with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Unfortunately, the Republic could not afford to lose the naval supply depot there, and it laid siege to the planet.

J

The control yoke is sluggish in your hands as you navigate the sickly orange clouds. You break through and approach the surface, noticing a few dozen spherical shipwrecks rusting into the sand. Several deep shafts pock the surface, and one of them has flashing green lights. This must be Landing Shaft Besh.

Throughout the Clone Wars, Jans Coorsa led a resistance against the Republic. He was known as the Phantom of Gall for his ability to plan complex operations that depended on correctly guessing how the enemy would respond. The resistance continued after Palpatine established of the Galactic Empire. Tragically, the Empire worked out the Phantom of Gall's identity and slaughtered most of his village. He fled to Xorrn with those few he could save.

DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES The PCs touch down on a landing pad hundreds of meters below the surface, at the bottom of Landing Shaft Besh. On the platform, a young, clean-shaven man and an older, grease-stained woman in engineering coveralls engage in a heated argument in front of a tanned, grey-bearded man and a lithe woman in rich, dark robes. When the party exits the ship, the arguers grow quiet. Read the following aloud:

The young man steps forward, offering his hand. 'Thank you for coming; we are grateful you were able to arrive so quickly. I'm Kai Coorsa, Cacique of the Clan Assembly here on Xorrn. "He indicates the woman behind him. "The angry rancor behind me is the patrician of the Hardin family and our chief engineer. Lira Hardin." Hardin smirks, as if his comment were proof she won the argument. "Behind her are Patrician Vilola Sargon and Security Chief Bellows. Welcome to Foundry Four. If you'll follow me?" Coorsa leads the party through the western factory, while Hardin brings up the rear. As the PCs pass along a winding platform through the factory, they hear the rhythmic hiss and bang of molten metal being poured and stamped. Eventually. the group moves through a secure door and across a long catwalk that spans a vast pit of glowing, orange mist. At the end of the walkway is a hexagonal control center and meeting space for the Clan Assembly. The PCs may have questions for Coorsa; suggested answers are noted below

this isn't all her fau lt. She used to be with the Empire, you know." The players may also have questions for Hardin. Note that she doesn't know what is going on just yet. Read the following answers to players if asked: •

this place running alongside Jans Coor.so a while back. "Jans,· Hardin sighs, "now that was a guy who knew how to run things. Granted, he was as stubborn as his grandson, here, but at least he understood how the galaxy works, you know?" •

What do you make here? "Foundry Four makes starship components and armament to order. We'll even install it in our orbital yard. You see the yard on the way in? You shouldn't have: we went through a lot of trouble to hide it. Anyway, we're refitted ships for Hutts, pirates, Rebels, you name it, with the Empire none the wiser.·

•

Were you really with the Empire? "Oh, sure. and the Republic before that. Saw plenty or action with the 9th Engineering Battalion, mostly in the Western Reaches, but the massacre at Rampa I and what they did on Call was just too much. Helped Jans move the families out here, and haven't left since.·

•

Why were you two arguing? "Cacique Kai Coor.so of Call?" Hardin mocks. "If he was any more wet behind the ear.s, we'd be calling him 'Mon' Kai Coor.so. Kid doesn't know what he's doing; he's gonna end up getting us all killed ifhe keeps increasing trafhc around here. Especially Alliance trafhc. •

• What is all this about? ''I'd rather wait until we are in the assembly room. Not everyone here knows just yet. and I'd like to avoid a panic." •

How long have you been in charge? "I've been here for about six years now. ever since my grandfather passed. His name was Jans Coorsa; you may have heard of him. The Phantom of Gall? They made a holovid."

• Why were you two arguing? "Hardin? She's my biggest problem around here. I'm not convinced

How long have you been here? "Helped get

Once the group reaches the control center, begin the mission briefing.

TROUBLE ON XORRN

FRIENDS LIKE THESE

IMMINENT DANGER nside the hexagonal control center, Coorsa takes his seat in a raised chair in front of the workstation once used to oversee incoming data from the five factories of Foundry Four. Seated along a table ringing the raised chair are a dozen clan patricians. including Lira Hardin and Vilola Sargan. Also in the room are Security Chief Bellows and pirate captain Skahvi Renlow of the lcarii-7. Once everyone is seated and introduced, a holoprojector illuminates the air on either side of Coorsa. On one side is the red raptor, symbol of the Rebel Alliance. and on the other is the orange viper of the Zann Consortium. a criminal syndicate that operates in the region. These last two holoprojections are ident-less voice transmissions from their respective groups. Neither organization wishes to reveal itself to the other, and, as such, both are concealing their identity. Note that if the PCs have ties to a different criminal organization that works better for the GM's campaign, it is a simple matter to replace the Zann Consortium with another syndicate.

I

Coorsa begins the briefing immediately. To start the briefing, read the following aloud: ''Thank you all for coming. We have just learned that Imperial forces, spearheaded by a captain by the name of Nervi, plan to attack Xorrn in approximately forty-eight hours." Coorsa says. The patricians mutter among themselves until Coorsa holds up a hand. "Our friends within the Rebel Alliance, in addition to informing us of the impending assault, hove pledged to send on armada sufficient to wipe out the Imperial forces. "Coorso rests his eyes on you. "Unfortunately, they won't arrive in time to stop the attack. We need to convince regional allies to join in our fight and help us hold out for several hours until the armada arrives. We are fortunate to have a team of experts here to aid us in bolstering our defenses."

With that, Coorsa opens the briefing up to any questions the Player Characters might have. Below are questions the PCs might ask. If the players miss any questions, the GM can have Hardin, Vilola, or Bellows answer them later. If the PCs have a particular Alliance contact they have worked with previously, they recognize that contact's voice from the Rebel transmission. • Where's the intel from? (Rebels) "Alliance

Intelligence has a deep-cover agent attached to Captain Nervi. The agent's identity is classified." • How does Nervi know about Xorrn? (Rebels)

"We aren't sure. We assume a probe droid sweep just got lucky. Our agent is working on that as we speak."

TROUBLE ON XORRN FRENDS LIKE THESE

• Can the spy delay the attack? (Rebels) "For

security purposes, communication with the agent is one-way. If more information comes in. Alliance Intelligence will forward it immediately." • What do we know about Captain Nervi? (Rebels) "We're sending you our intelligence profile on

him now. The short version is that he is a prideful social climber who married into the Nervi family and took their name in hopes of jump-starting a political career. He's ambitious. but paranoid." • What's the Empire sending? (Rebels) "The Gladiator-class Star Destroyer Blood Ambition is leading the Roider-class corvettes Sorgontuan and Worhawk. They're carrying approximately 1,300

troops, five walkers, two TIE squadrons, and some support craft." • Won't the Empire send more ships? (Zann Consortium)

"Nervi has not informed his superiors of his discovery. Most of the crews of his assault ships believe they are reporting for an exercise near Ryloth. Only his senior staff know the truth. If you can keep Nervi's forces engaged until your reinforcements arrive, the reinforcements can wipe them out. and Xorrn's significance remains a secret.·

• What potential allies are nearby? (Skahvi Renlow) "The sector is brimming with pirates and mercenaries. but it's hard to say who is available, interested. or trustworthy. Let me make some comms. Meet me up on the Seven in a bit." • Why not evacuate? (Coorsa) "This is our home, and the foundry and yard are our livelihoods. Captain Renlow has offered to evacuate the chil-

dren and some caretakers temporarily, but the rest of us will fight."

• What's to stop them from collapsing the landing shafts? (Zann Consortium) "My spies have given Nervi reason to believe the location of the Rebel Fleet is here. on the central computer. That's his ultimate prize. He'd never risk losing it." •

What can we offer potential allies? (Coorsa) "We don't have much, just what resources and services are available here. The Rebel Alliance have offered a few additional possibilities; we'll get you a list of options."

•

What about our reinforcements? (Rebels) "The Rebel Fleet has diverted a squadron of warships with six wings of starfighters. They arrive in fifty-three hours."

APPROVED OFFERS he Clan Assembly will do anything to keep their home safe. They are willing to offer the following to potential allies:

T •

•

•

Use of Foundry: Factory can enable production runs using on-hand schematics and materials (or virtually any others provided). Privateer Status: The Alliance is willing to provide a letter of marque to harass Imperial shipping lanes, with guaranteed Alliance purchase of prize and prisoners at favorable rates. Information Sharing: Alliance Intelligence and the Zann Consortium are willing to offer allies a contact who can provide secret information.

When the PCs have no further questions, the transmissions from the Rebel Alliance and Zann Consortium cease. Coorsa offers some final words of encouragement. Read the following aloud:

Coorsa hands over a datacard containing the Nervi intelligence profile and potential bargaining chips. He looks you firmly in the eye. "We are trusting you with our fate. If we can't get regional allies here before our reinforcements arrive. we don't have a chance. People I trust have told me you can do this. I hope they're right."

CACIQUE KAL COORSA [RIVAL]

PATRICIAN LIRA HARDIN [RIVAL]

Grandson of Jans Coorsa, the legendary Phantom of Gall, Kai was still an infant when his father died resisting the Empire. Primarily raised by his mother, Kai was twelve when she died during an Imperial bombardment of their village. His infamous grandfather took him in and moved him with the remnants of his clan to Xorrn.

A veteran with little tolerance for fools, Lira Hardin has been working on weapons of war for close to thirty years. Long before the Separatist Crisis, she left her native Gall for the Republic judicials, where she was trained as a combat engineer. She was moved to the Grand Army of the Republic for the duration of the Cione Wars, and she participated in the bombardment of Xorrn at the end of the conflict. She stayed on while the Republic became the Galactic Empire. After bearing witness to the subjugation of Rampa I, she resigned and went home to Gall.

Shortly after Kai's nineteenth birthday, Jans Coorsa died under mysterious circumstances. Jans·s last will and testament designated Kai as the interim cacique. a position he has worked hard to retain through multiple Clan Assembly votes. Kai does his best to govern Foundry Four with the same keen foresight as his grandfather. However, Kai's hatred of the Empire blinds his judgment, and he has frequent clashes with former Imperial Lira Hardin.

~ 0 ~~~ q) (*"'3:) cvjmrr·•J Cm)

Skills: Discipline 1, Knowledge(Underworld) 2, Warfare) 2. Leadership 3, Negotiation 1, Ranged (Light) I , Vigilance 2. Talents: Adversary I (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against Coorsa once). Enhanced Leader (when making a Leadership check, may add O to the check; may spend O to add or tJ, to the result). Force Rating 1, Inspiring Rhetoric (as an action, may make an Average I♦ ♦l Leadership check; each removes 1 strain or wound from one ally within close range; each tJ, removes an additional strain or wound from an affected ally), Touch of Fate (once per game session, may add DD to any one skill check).

Struck by the ruin her hometown had become under Jans Coorsa·s leadership, Hardin became involved with clan politics and was quickly named patrician of the Hardin family. While she opposed Jans Coorsa at every decision, they shared a mutual respect. After the Imperial bombardment that decimated their village, Hardin convinced Coorsa to go into hiding on Xorrn. There, Hardin's experience was invaluable in reactivating Foundry Four and creating the orbital repair yard. After Jans died, Hardin opposed his grandson, who sought higher-profile clients. particularly the Rebellion.

0 0 ~ 0 ~~ (~ J (~ J Cm) Skills: Computers 3, Cool 1. Knowledge (Education) 3, Leadership 1. Mechanics 4, Perception 2.

*

*

Equipment: Blaster pistol (Ranged [Light!; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun setting), datapad, encrypted comlink.

Talents: Gearhead 1 (remove ■ from Mechanics checks).

Known Schematic (once per session, as a maneuver, may make a Hard I♦♦ ♦l Knowledge [Education] check; success grants familiarity with a building or ship's design). Abilities: None. Equipment:

Adverse environment gear

( + I soak), datapad, encrypted comlink, scanner goggles.

PATRICIAN VI LOLA SARGAN [RIVAL] The patrician of the Sargan family, Vilola is one of the major voices in the Clan Assembly. Vilola was Jans Coorsa·s sister-in-law, a fact she uses to wield influence over Kai, claiming to know what Jans would do or want in any given situation. Vilola has contacts throughout the criminal underworld, including among the Hutts, the Zann Consortium, and the Car'das smuggling ring. She uses her position to arrange favorable deals for her criminal contacts while enriching herself. When the time is right, she hopes to oust Kai Coorsa and take over as cacique. She has quietly set Kai and Lira Hardin against each other to remove the threat of a political alliance between their families, all the while secretly allying with Hardin over their shared reluctance to work with the Rebel Alliance.

Skills: Charm 3, Coercion 2, Cool 2, Deception 3,

Leadership 2, Negotiation 1, Perception 2. Talents: Adversary 1 (upgrade difficulty of all combat

checks against Vilola once). Congenial 1 (may suffer 1 strain to downgrade difficulty of Charm or Negotiation checks once or upgrade difficulty once when targeted by Charm or Negotiation checks) Abilities: None. Equipment: Armored clothing (+ 1 defense, + I soak), datapad. encrypted comlink.

OTHER PERSONALITIES Xorrn has a number of other colorful characters that GMs can use to enrich the setting and provide some variety and perspective beyond Coorsa·s and Hardin's views.

Route. Captain Renlow is a regular at Xorrn's repair yard, trading pirated cargo for additional upgrades to his ship, the lcarii- 7. Captain Ren low is often brought in to advise the Clan Assembly on new clients, using his underworld contacts to check them out. Patrician Rees Vinder: Patrician to the Clan Assembly for the influential Vinder family, Rees Vinder. is one of the few people on Xorrn to have been licensed as a doctor. At only twenty-eight. he is considered among the most eligible bachelors of Foundry Four. He is known for his warm bedside manner and his sense of humor. While he is considered a shoe-in for cacique, he has refused to run. He remains out of politics as much as possible and abstains from most votes unless they concern what supplies and staff he has available. Patrician Jessa Korrin: Largely considered the only person on Xorrn with a fouler mouth than Lira Hardin, Jessa represents the Korrin family in the Clan Assembly. She is in charge of the droid pool, particularly the skimmer droids that collect raw materials for the factories. She is frequently covered in soot and has gained a dry, continuous cough that functions as the only reprieve from her litany of expletives.

FAMILY MATTERS During the briefing, Hardin visibly pales at the news, and afterward. she flies into a rage directed at Coorsa. Read the following aloud: "I told you to quit it with the kriffing Rebel traffic. This is all your-" Coorsa cuts off Hardin with his own accusation, "You used to be with the Empire; I bet you've been working with Nervi the entire time! Chief Bellows, pull her comms records immediately!" "Like hell I have! You slimy little Huttsucking-"

Security Chief Bellows: A large, tan-skinned man with

a bushy grey beard, Chief Bellows is a former clone trooper who suffered severe head trauma just before Order 66 was issued. He was found by Lira Hardin. who watched over him. When he woke, he convinced Hardin he didn't understand why his brothers were behaving as they were, and she persuaded him to go into hiding until things sorted themselves out. Over the years, Bellows has put on weight, and has been named security chief of Foundry Four. While he occasionally breaks up scuffles and domestic disputes. his real job is to ensure that the shady customers parading to Xorrn for ship upgrades pay their bills. While not formally on the Clan Assembly, Bellows is frequently included in meetings to provide security input. Captain Skahvi Renlow: A pirate and outlaw who

operates along the Cranan-Excarga Hyperspace

"Chief Bellows, take Patrician Hardin into custody and throw her in a cell!" "You know I'm right, Coorsa. This is all your fault!"

Chief Bellows looks bored, as though this happens daily, and makes no move to arrest Hardin. He makes some attempts to calm them down, telling Coorsa he has no intention of arresting Hardin, but their argument rides roughshod over the chief, and he eventually looks pleadingly at the PCs. The two continue arguing until the PCs leave or intervene. A Hard C♦♦♦) Coercion or Leadership check is necessary to stop the two from arguing, at which point Hardin throws her hands up and storms out.

TROUBLE ON XORRN

FRIENDS U1(£ T'HESI:

EVALUATING THE FACILITIES hief Bellows offers to give the PCs a tour of the facility so he can hear any advice they might have on fortifying the foundry against Imperial invasion. GMs should show the PCs a map of the facility and allow them to ask questions, answering as appropriate.

C

Most of the location sections below indicate that additional information is available after a suggested check. It is up to GMs whether they want players to obtain this information from the check, or if they want Bellows to provide the information outright. The advice players give Bellows can influence events in Episode IV, so allow the party to take as much time as they like. Without guidance. Chief Bellows will focus his efforts on fortifying the landing shafts until the PCs return from their first attempt to find allies. While taking the tour of the facility, the PCs may have questions for Chief Bellows, as noted below: •

What's the deal with Coorsa and Hardin? "Oh. mostly it's just Coorsa's a little green, and Hardin can be... difficult. Doesn't help that the Empire killed Coorsa·s father, and Hardin used to be with the Empire."

• Any ideas on getting them to work together? ·vou'd have better luck teaching a rancor to clackdance. If those two don't get on the same team, I don't think we have much of a chance, though. I believe they both want to do right by everyone depending on them. I guess that's as good a starting place as any." •

Have you seen combat before? "Sure, a long time ago I fought for the Republic alongside my brothers. I was wounded in the fighting at the end of the Clone Wars, though. Way I see it. I served the Republic, and the minute Palpatine declared an Empire, I was off the hook. Hardin convinced me to come out here."

• What are your t houghts on the invasion? ·way I figure it, if we have to last five hours. our best bet is to slow them down as much as we can. Best way to do that is meet them in orbit and fight a slow, tactical retreat. Make them deploy and face us, then retreat and make them start all over again. Eat up as much time as we can. The tricky part is when we get backed up to the landing shafts. If they take those, we're bantha poodoo." • Any potential allies in the region? ·we've already contacted everyone we know- that's how we got you here. You're going to have to pull something out of your shebs to find someone we didn't already consider. Captain Renlow might know of someone we don't."

TROUBLE ON XORRN

FRIEHDS UIC£ TllESE

FOUNDRY FOUR Xorrn's Clone Wars wreckage hides the remains of a Separatist droid foundry. After it had been rusting for several years. a group of Galls in exile gathered their families and reopened the foundry. The engineers at Xorrn can rapidly retool the assembly lines to create small batches of replacement parts and starship armament to order. This is a crucial contribution to the survival of ragtag organizations like the Rebel Alliance and countless pirate and mercenary groups, which utilize ships of myriad makes and models. The outlaw techs install the components on the starships at a small. concealed repair yard in orbit. Foundry Four was once a functioning warren of five separate underground factories joined by a central command center. The Geonosian facility had two landing shafts at each factory for moving in raw materials and pushing out finished products. Each shaft runs four hundred meters down to a corvette-sized landing platform near a large cargo-staging area. Only two shafts remain in service. Above the factories are the rusting remains of several dozen Trade Federation core ships, razed by the Republic at the end of the Clone Wars. There are also a few small support buildings, though they are crumbling and long abandoned. Nearby to the west is the aft end of a Republic Star Destroyer that crashed during the Clone Wars.

SUBTERRANEAN CITY Most of Foundry Four is located underground While ten separate landing shafts once provided contact with the surface, all but two are unusable.

CONTROL CENTER Deep within the foundry, at the center of the five factories. the control center hovers high within a large magma chamber. Once a monitoring station to oversee all five factories, the space is now used for meetings of the Clan Assembly. Here, Cacique Coorsa meets with the family patricians, including Lira Hardin, Vilola Sargan, Rees Vinder, and Jessa Korrin.

A Daunting (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦) Knowledge (Warfare) check reveals that the Geonosians built the control center to double as an escape vehicle. Standard Separatist protocols of the day would have included an escape shaft that led to a secret hangar.

TROUBLE ON XORRN

FRIENDS UKE 11tESE

STARSHIP COMPONENT FACTORY

THE BELTS

The westerly of two working factories, the spare parts factory has a cleared landing shaft ·so that raw materials and finished components are easy to move in and out of the facility. Far below is a smelting plant. where metals are melted, purified, and piped to the assembly lines to be poured and stamped. The factory has dozens of assembly lines that work together to create single, complex items. most often starship components for Rebels. pirates. and mercenaries. Hardin and her engineers can retool the factory in two hours to produce parts from a variety of preprogrammed schematics.

The northeastern factory belts are the primary living quarters for the people of Foundry Four. While the main walkway to the landing shaft is kept clear for traffic and finished goods. the former assembly lines are used to support housing. Prefabricated habitation cubes were among the first things Jans Coorsa ordered constructed upon the reactivation of the foundry. The identical. modest cubes generally have four rooms, and they rest in long rows along the former assembly lines. While only a few hundred people live on Xorrn, most work in either of the two factories or the shipyard. or are too young or old to do so.

LANDING SHAFTS

The Clone Wars left several shafts collapsed. and the families have capped others, leaving only two active landing shafts. Each has a ring of four tractor beam emitters to assist with landings. Factory reactor maintenance is accessed via turbolifts in the landing shafts. The shafts double as exhaust vents for factory waste. An Average (♦ ♦) Knowledge (Warfare) check reveals that the two landing shafts are vital chokepoints in the coming battle. t) t) or@ reveals that Imperials are likely to use rappelling lines or jetpacks to take each shaft and hold back any shuttles or landing craft until they secure the landing pad. ARMS FACTORY

The southeastern factory is dedicated to producing a variety of starship weaponry. Once produced, large weapons are moved one at a time on specialized skiffs through the residential area of the northeastern factory, which has the nearest cleared landing shaft. One of four LAAT/c cargo carriers lifts the weapons to orbit, where the shipyard refits civilian transports for combat. The factory currently makes light and medium turbolaser cannons, and it has a dozen ready to mount on Captain Renlow·s lcarii-7. See the lcarii-7's profile, on page 16, for more details about the weapons. MED CENTER

Located halfway between the two eastern factories. the med center is led by Doctor Rees Vinder, who has a staff of two other doctors and seven assistants with only basic medical training. The facility has few resources beyond a single 2-1 B surgical droid. a few medpacs, and a bacta tank. Other than handling injuries from the occasional industrial accident. the facility does little more than care for citizens who have inhaled too many fumes. The med center has three repurposed cargo skiffs it uses as emergency response vehicles. An Easy (♦) Medicine check reveals that the med center is wholly unprepared to treat more than a dozen wounded. which is easily expected to be the case once the attack begins.

TROUBLE ON XORRN

FR.IEM>S UIC£ TM£SE

SECURITY STATION

Situated near the med center is Chief Bellows's security station. From here. with the help of Sergeant Rybo, his Besalisk second-in-command, Chief Bellows keeps the peace in Foundry Four. Bellows has just over a half-dozen security officers under his command. and a modest armory containing fifty blaster rifles. ten heavy blaster rifles. twenty blaster pistols. twenty armor piercing grenades. and a light repeating blaster (see page 173 in the Ace oF ResetuoN Core Rulebook for details on these items). The armory holds numerous spare power packs and a large tank of compressed blaster gas as well. Chief Bellows also has access to a small garage with a repair bay for vehicle maintenance. The garage has ten cargo skiffs. Behind the security station, inside a series of small metal tanks that once housed raw materials for the northeastern factory, are eleven prisoners. Most are merely citizens who committed any of a variety of infractions; others are scoundrels who tried to skip out on payment after seNices were rendered by Foundry Four. A Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Knowledge (Underworld) check reveals that some prisoners have standing bounties on their heads, a few worth several thousand credits. ZERWIRR'S CAFE

A former assembly and testing area in the defunct northeast factory seNes as Foundry Four's only restaurant. Eight conveyor belts serve as makeshift tables. seating twenty at a time. A Kubaz chef named Zerwirr is the owner. but he has been disappointed with the low volume of business. Despite the lack of competition, most citizens cook at home. perhaps owing to the Kubaz predilection for seNing insects as a delicacy.

HARDENED TARGET Before the PCs leave to search tor new allies, they can provide any prioritization they deem fit to Chief Bellows for his fortification efforts. In addition to any specific items noted above, Chief Bellows can direct his staff to use blocks of metal ore as makeshift barricades for strategic use as cover. GMs should note the party's prioritization list. When the party returns to Xorrn, GMs should use their judgment to decide how much was accomplished by Chief Bellows and his team . Note that there are only ten security team members, ten medical team members, and 150 engineers at Xorrn to assist in fortifications. The rest are unskilled civilians or prisoners. Players get two more opportunities to continue their fortification efforts during this adventure with additional personnel.

OTHER FORTIFICATIONS Foundry Four has always relied on secrecy for protection, so little effort has gone into physical defenses. It is up to the party to help prepare the base to withstand the might of the Imperial war machine. There are three battlegrounds on Xorrn: orbit, the core ship graveyard, and the factory itself. At designated points during the adventure, the PCs can direct allies in the fortification of these battlegrounds. GENERAL FORTIFICATION

In preparing for combat, defensive forces often entrench themselves behind cover and create chokepoints where their opponents have none. This is often done by building barricades of sand, scrap metal, or welded crates. To generally fortify a single battleground, a PC or any NPC with the "rival" designation must make an Easy (♦) Knowledge (Warfare) check and

complete five hours of work with the help of twenty allies. Success adds a bonus of D for cover to all of the defenders' Mass Combat checks at that battleground, and further t) t) can be spent to provide a maximum cover bonus of □□ instead. A@ can be spent to fortify an adjacent battleground with the same bonuses. SALVAGED ACCLAMATOR

Within the debris field in Xorrn orbit, a gutted Acclamator-class cruiser hides the Ferra Sector Shipyard. On the planet's surface is another wrecked cruiser. just outside the core ship graveyard. With great effort. either ship can be reactivated to assist in the battle. To revive some of the systems on either of the wrecks, Lira Hardin or Jessa Korrin must make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Mechanics check and complete twenty· four hours of work along with seventy-five engineers. Success activates the weapon systems, increasing the ability of Mass Combat checks in Phase 2 or Phases 4-6 by one, depending on which ship they repair. t) t) or @ reactivates the shields. adding D to Mass Combat checks on that battleground. MAKESHIFT EMPLACEMENT

Ten turbolasers sit topside, ready to be used as weapon emplacements. These can be mounted on the repair yard. individual asteroids, or core ship wreckage for use in battles in the orbit and graveyard battlegrounds. Within the factories. pipes that transport water or molten metal can be subverted to function as makeshift cannons, attacking advancing stormtroopers. To create emplacements of either type, Lira Hardin or Jessa Korrin must make an Average (♦ ♦) Mechanics check and complete ten hours of work. assisted by ten engineers. When the check has been completed, Hardin or Korrin (or any other engineer who leads a team of ten and spends ten hours completing the work) can spend ~ ~ t) t) or @ to build a makeshift turbolaser or laser cannon turret (see Arms Factory on page 24). Each working factory has enough supplies to build a maximum of ten turbolaser or five laser cannon emplacements. Each emplacement adds D to Mass Combat checks made at the battleground where it was positioned. If there are five or more functional emplacements at a given battleground, increase the ability of Mass Combat checks at that battleground by one in addition to adding the appropriate number of □.

EXPLOSIVES

One way to slow down an enemy is to blow up a vital bridge or set mines in high-traffic areas. Xorrn's engineers are able to create makeshift explosives, while Mandalorians, if the PCs successfully recruit them, arrive with a cargo hold full of such explosives. To sabotage a battleground, Kad Solus, Vera Beroya, Nam Beroya, Chief Bellows, Lira Hardin, or Jessa Korrin must make a Hard(♦♦♦) Mechanics check and complete ten hours of work with the assistance of ten engineers, security officers, or Mandalorians. Success means they are able to mine the area in which one Phase takes place. This upgrades the ability of Mass Combat check at for that Phase once. If t) t) t) or @ is generated on that Mass Combat check, a path collapses in rubble, a bridge is blown, or the way otherwise becomes obstructed, adding thirty minutes to the

time it takes the Empire to overcome the phase. A single battleground can be mined a maximum of three times. The Mandalorians only bring enough explosives to lay mines four times. BARRIER

Since the forces of Xorrn are merely stalling for time, another effective strategy is to weld a door shut and force the Empire to cut through it. Each end of each working factory has a set of giant doors that can be sealed to frustrate the Imperial advance. To create a barrier, any clan patrician, Coorsa, Prince Molec, or Rajim Armin must make an Average (♦ ♦) Athletics check and complete five hours of work with the assistance of fifty laborers. Success seals the door, requiring the Empire to spend fifteen minutes breaking through. t) can add five minutes to this time, while@ can add fifteen minutes.

THE SEARCH FOR ALLIES he players have two options for discovering potenT tial allies in the region. One method is to draw upon their own skills and resources. Alternatively, they might talk to Skahvi Renlow, captain of the lcarii-7.

THEIR OWN DEVICES Players may decide to take locating allies into their own hands. Through scrambled comms calls and holonet searches, they can draw on a variety of their skills to identify potential allies to approach. Each member of the party can make one of five different checks as they put their heads together to determine what allies might be available. Success reveals the existence of either the Mandalorian mercenaries at Vlemoth Port

or the Zygerrian slavers at Kowak, at the GM's discretion. The difficulties for the various checks are listed below. Consult Table 1- 1: Positive Inquiries and Table 1-2: Negative Inquiries for the information the PCs learn during their search. The following are some of the skill checks the PCs can attempt: • Hard(♦♦♦) Computers check • Daunting(♦♦♦♦) Knowledge (Outer Rim) check • Average (♦ ♦) Knowledge (Underworld) check • Daunting(♦♦♦♦) Knowledge (Warfare) check • Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Streetwise check

TABLE 1-1: POSITIVE INQUIRIES A mercenary group of Mandalorian warriors operates out of Vlemoth Port and is available for hire. Also provides a comms code to contact it and set up a meeting on Vlemoth Station. hangar 13.

Mandalorians

~ -t)-t)

[-o ~

Zygerrians

The Mandalorians are at battalion strength: approximately 800 warriors. The Mandalorians at Vlemoth Port left Mandalore before the Clone Wars. They are of the honorable mercenary sort.

t} t} o_r _®__,__T_he Mandalorians do not offer starfighter escorts, but they are looking to expand their operations by adding starships.

A branch of the Zygerrian Slavers Guild, managed by Prince Molec. runs a slavers bazaar out of nearby Kowak. home to the infamous Kowakian monkey-lizards. The bazaar is not sanctioned by the Empire: it caters mostly to the Hutts and corporate interests in the know. The prince has a gambling addiction ripe for exploitation. Molec has a known hatred for Captain Nervi. who killed his brother and caused Molec's exile to Kowak.

TROUBLE ON XORRN FRIENDS LIi(£ TMESE

TABLE 1- 2: NEGATIVE INQUIRIES Result

Information Conflicting information adds ■ to the next search for information by the party or its allies. Confusing maps add ■ to the next Astrogation check to reach either Vlemoth Port or Kowak.

1----------'

-----

The PCs receive erroneous information. They learn that there is a helpful force on Vlemoth Port or Kowak. but its identity is entirely incorrect. The PCs are led to believe that either an infamous bounty hunter has been enslaved by the Zygerrians on Kowak or a gang of notorious Weequay mercenaries is awaiting contact on Vlemoth Port. Each time @ or @ is spent for this result. the PCs learn one of these pieces of information. not both.

CHATTING WITH SKAHVI Almost everyone considers Captain Skahvi Renlow of the lcarii-7 the expert on everything along the CrananExcarga Hyperspace Route. The captain sends word to the party to meet with him while he oversees the refit on his ship in orbit. If the PCs meet Skahvi, read the following aloud: When you catch up to the captain, he is cov· ered in grease, knee deep in an access bay arguing with a pair of shipyard droids. "Well, whose idea was it to put these fluidics lines right above my starboard alluvial damper cou· piing? Who do you think has to pay for all this when it breaks? Why are we even using-hold on a minute." Skahvi shrugs. "I don't have much time. I have to get the Seven spaceworthy if I'm gonna avoid the bloodbath."

Skahvi leads the PCs to a cleaning station and wipes his hands on a rag, ready for any questions: • You aren't staying? "People say I'm crazy, but

you're barvy if you think you can hold out against the Empire. That's suicide. I'm gone as soon as my drives can get hot, and I'm taking a couple hundred refugees with me.· •

How long to finish the refit? ·Another twelve hours or so. if nothing else goes wrong. These droids aren't worth their weight in scrap."

• Are there local allies? "Folks who'll step up to

fight the Empire? None I'd want to work with. I suppose you can talk to Beroya. Runs a clan of Mandalorians nearby that'll work for anyone if the credits are right. Other than them. I suppose you could go to Kowak if you're desperate."

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•

What about the Mandalorians? "Yeah, they

bunk at Vlemoth Port. one of those trade backwaters. Beroya's a real hard case, but all those Mandalorians are. I can comm Beroya now and set up a meeting for you." Skahvi leaves, returning a few minutes later. "Okay, you're all set. They'll have a representative at Vlemoth Station, hangar 13: •

What about Kowak? "Well. I'd make that a last

resort. Prince Molec runs a Zygerrian auction house there, and sometimes it has ent ire slave armies for sale."

PRETTY GOOD IN A FIGHT PC with the Recruiting Duty might express an interest in convincing Captain Renlow to join the Rebellion. Add DD to any opposed checks to win Skhavi over, thanks to his opinion on the viability of the Rebel Alliance. If the PC is successful, Skahvi compromises by offering to stay a little longer, and the GM should award the PC an additional 3 Duty.

A

Convincing Captain Renlow to stay for the battle is very difficult. His Presence and Willpower are each 3. and he has two ranks in Cool and one in Negotiation. Upgrade the difficulty of any check that involves the

■ ■. Skahvi has a soft spot, though, and feels guilty for running away after being treated like family. While calling out his cowardice makes him even more stubborn-adding ■ to the check-leveraging his internal guilt is very effective. Reduce by one the difficulty of any skill check to try to guilt Skahvi into staying.

lcorii- 7 staying at Xorrn once and add

If the players succeed. Skahvi offers to send six of his crew to help with fortifications, though he still has to leave to drop off the refugees. Generating@ during a check can convince him to stay and fight during Episode IV, but even so, he jumps into hyperspace after the first Mass Combat check at the orbital battleground, and appears to abandon the party. Each attempt to talk Skahvi into staying takes fifteen minutes.

SOLIDARITY he dissension in the ranks among Foundry Four's leadership can destroy morale and impact the settlement's ability to mount a viable defense. If the PCs do nothing to address the situation, it reduces what fortifications can be completed until Coorsa and Hardin's relationship is repaired. It also downgrades the ability of all Mass Combat checks that include citizens of Foundry Four in Episode IV once to reflect the broken leadership.

check with ■. Results in potential benefits during trips to Vlemoth Port and Kowak. but reduces the number of fortifications accomplished by one.

T

The players have a few options on how to solve the current dispute. Each talk with an NPC takes the party fifteen minutes. The group can also split for this encounter to speak to several NPCs separately and save time. GMs can choose to require five additional minutes for every @ and fifteen for every @ generated during checks, at their discretion. Should the PCs' plans require the Clan Assembly to vote, either to have Hardin detained or to have Coorsa removed from power. they must secure the support of at least eight of the twelve voters to get the result they desire.

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS There are several solutions to the problem of divided leadership. The following are the various solutions and the required steps for each: • Convince Coorsa to step down: Succeed against Coorsa at an opposed social skill check with ■ ■ ■. This results in Coorsa joining Chief Bellows's security forces for the fight. • Convince Coorsa to accompany the PCs: Succeed against Coorsa at an opposed social skill

• Convince Hardin to accompany the PCs: Succeed at an opposed social skill check against Hardin. Results in potential benefits during trips to Vlemoth Port and Kowak. but reduces the number of fortifications accomplished by one. and adds ■ to the first Mass Combat check in Episode IV. • Convince Hardin to evacuate: Succeed against Hardin at an opposed social skill check, with D added to the check if her engineers are coming with her, or ■■■ if they are staying behind to fortify and fight. Reduces the number of fortifications accomplished by one or three, depending on whether the engineers stay or go. • Convince Coorsa and Hardin to work together: Succeed against both Coorsa and Hardin at an opposed social skill check. Provides an additional fortification of the GM's choice from those suggested by the PCs during their tour. Adds D to all Mass Combat checks involving citizens of Xorrn. •

Convince the Clan Assembly to force Coorsa out of power: Requires a vote of the Clan Assembly, which takes an additional hour Doing this requires eight secured votes for both the vote of no confidence and the chosen successor.

• Convince the Clan Assembly to arrest Hardin: Requires a vote of the Clan Assembly, which takes an additional hour. Doing this requires eight secured votes.

TROUBLE ON XORRN F'RIE.NDS UICE nESE

TALKING WITH CACIQUE KAL COORSA

TALKING WITH PATRICIAN VI LOLA SARGAN

PCs can conceivably use any social skill for an opposed skill check to influence Coorsa. at the GM's discretion.

Sargan is the most deceptive member of the Clan Assembly. PCs can find Sargan in her habitation cube. packing her essentials for the evacuation of noncombatants. She is interested in convincing the party to call a vote of no confidence against Coorsa, but she won't openly admit it. She instead tries to manipulate the party into pursuing that course against her apparent wishes. If PCs succeed against Sargan on her opposed Deception check vs. their Discipline. they recognize that she isn't telling the full truth. but she denies it if confronted. If the PCs do engineer a vote of no confidence. Sargan gets three of her supporters to vote against Coorsa. Unless the party supports a different candidate, Sargan ensures she is voted in as the new cacique.

Coorsa feels guilty that perhaps his encouragement of Rebel traffic in the system really is what has brought the Empire to his doorstep. Exploiting Coorsa's guilt adds D to any social skill check against him. Coorsa would love to deport. jail. or otherwise get rid of Hardin: if the PCs make an opposed social skill check to try to convince him to hold a Clan Assembly meeting to call for her arrest. add D to their roll. Success provides two votes. plus an additional vote for every net t> t> or additional ~ beyond the first. If t> t> t> or @ is generated on a successful opposed social skill check to make Coorsa cooperate with Hardin. he capitulates completely. He admits she's been right all along, and he vows to apologize to her for accusing her of being an Imperial spy. If @ @ @ or @ is generated on a successful check, Coorsa says he is willing to work with Hardin, but only if she apologizes first.

If the PCs try to get her to call for a vote to have Hardin arrested. and they do so with an opposed social skill check. add D to the check. Success provides two votes. plus an additional vote for every net t> t> or additional ~ beyond the first.

TALKING WITH PATRICIAN REES VINDER TALKING WITH PATRICIAN LIRA HARDIN Hardin often feels unappreciated for her work managing the foundry and repair yard. and she is susceptible to flattery, though genuine appreciation works best. Downgrade the difficulty of all Charm and Negotiate checks once. However, she is as stubborn as a bantha. and reacts poorly to threats or demands. Upgrade the difficulty of all Coercion and Leadership checks twice. Hardin would love to call for a vote of no confidence in Kai Coorsa as Cacique: if the PCs use an opposed social skill check to convince her to call a Clan Assembly meeting for such a vote, add D to their check. Success provides two votes. plus an additional vote for every net t> t> or additional ~ beyond the first.

t> t> t>

or @ are generated on a successful opposed socia l skill check to make Hardin cooperate with Coorsa. she admits she gives him a harder time than necessary, and she promises to apologize to him and cooperate. If @ @ @ or@ is generated on a successful check. she says she'll only cooperate after she gets an apology from Coorsa. If

ND APOLOGIES f neither Coorsa nor Hardin is willing to apologize. it is possible to make another opposed Social skill check with each to get them in the same room. Once together. they can make an opposed Cool check. The loser is the first to break down and apologize.

I

TROUBLE ON XORRN

F"RJ£NDS LI(.£ 11tESE

PCs can find Vinder in the med center. doing his best to create makeshift beds and prep his staff for mass casualty events. He has little interest in assembly politics; any social skill checks not related to helping him prep the med center suffer ■. though his refusals are usually good-natured. Further, the difficulty of any check to attempt to gain his vote to remove Coorsa. arrest Hardin. or run for cacique is upgraded twice. If the PCs convince him to vote, success provides one vote, plus an additional vote (due to his influence) for every net t> t> t>. @. or additional net ~ ~ beyond the first. If he runs for cacique. he automatically begins with five votes.

TALKING WITH PATRICIAN JESSA KORRIN Korrin is near the droid pool. deep in the bowels of the facility where the skimmer droids are active. Korrin is relatively neutral toward Vilola Sargan and Kai Coorsa. However, she likes Lira Hardin and harbors secret feelings for Patrician Vinder. who is completely unaware. This information can be made available by spending t> t> or@ during a social skill check with Korrin. If the PCs call on Korrin's support for a vote to see Coorsa ousted. success on the opposed social skill check provides one vote. plus an additional vote for every net t> t> or additional ~ ~ beyond the first. Add DD to the check and one vote if the PCs convinced Rees Vinder to run as the new cacique. If the PCs call for a vote to see Hardin arrested with an opposed social skill check. add ■ ■ to the check. Success provides one vote, plus an additional vote for every net t> t> or additional ~ ~ beyond the first.

LEAVING XORRN With the Clan Assembly functioning smoothly and two leads on potential allies. the PCs can focus on recruiting new allies. The PCs can head to Vlemoth

Port or Kowak. If they make for Vlemoth Port first. continue on to Episode II. If they instead visit Kowak first, skip ahead to Mean Streets, on page 53 of Episode Ill. Once the PCs decide where they are going, Episode I ends.

EPISODE I XP REWARDS In addition to the standard experience point rewards for each session of play and for good roleplaying, the PCs can gain the following rewards for Episode I: • Directing the fortification of Xorrn: 5 XP • Learning of both the Mandalorians of Vfemoth Port and the Zygerrians of Kowak: 5 XP • Solving the infighting among the assembly: 10 XP •

Duty: Each PC should earn I to 5 Duty based on that character's individual Motivations and Duty. A bonus + 3 Duty may be awarded for fulfilling the triggered Duty or for any noteworthy heroic acts made on behalf of the Rebel Alliance.

1

MANDALORIAN MEET AND GREET aving become aware of the long odds they're up H against in the Xorrn system, the PCs should be desperate for Mandalorian assistance. Whether through

PCs' contact. Kad Solus, is midway between the turbolift banks. When the PCs find Solus, read the following:

their own research or by talking with Captain Renlow. the PCs have set up a rendezvous with a Mandalorian emissary at Vlemoth Station in hangar 13. The Viemoth Port system is just a short jump from Xorrn down the Cranan-Excarga Hyperspace Route.

Leaning against the airfoil of a silver Manda/Motors shuttle is a spindly figure in blue-and-green Manda/orion armor. 'The name's Kad So/us. /'II get right to it. I don't like taking these pity jobs: there's a high risk of getting killed and an even higher risk of not getting paid." Kad turns his head toward the turbolift. "Speaking of getting killed, that lot looks like they want a word with you." A dozen Weequay and Klatooinian mercenaries swarm from the lift and train their blasters on you.

VLEMOTH STATION A 1,027-meter-tall jade pillar jutting from the crust of Vlemoth Port. Vlemoth Station was once an orbital gun platform, constructed by the lnterGalactic Banking Clan to defend Sanshur Flats against Republic attack. It has since been "grounded" on the surface of the planet and serves as an independent starport. The station has three basic sections. The maneuvering decks, at the bottom, contain massive torsion hydraulics to turn the tower's upper sections. The wider, middle decks include several hangars. Each of the thirty central decks can hold a dozen light freighters and a considerable amount of cargo. The top of the station has been converted into hotel rooms. shops, and cantinas. The bridge decks. also among the top decks. function as a suite and offices for the station's Muun overseers.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS When the PCs arrive at Vlemoth Station. hangar control hails them and charges a 50-credit docking fee. which can be halved with a successful Hard C♦ ♦ ♦) Negotiation check. Control instructs them to land in hangar 9, just a few levels above their rendezvous at hangar I 3. While the process of checking in and landing typically takes an hour. another Negotiation check can reduce the time by ten minutes per net ~ or ti. with net 'T" or @ increasing the time by the same margin, to a minimum of thirty minutes and a maximum of two hours. If Kai Coorsa is with the party at Vlemoth Port. he immediately laments landing on the station, citing a bad feeling. His concerns put the PCs on edge, which gives them D to their Initiative checks at the start of combat in the Shootout at Hangar 13 section. Hangar 13 is two-hundred meters in diameter, with eleven walled-off bays, seven of which house private freighters. In place of a twelfth bay are hangar doors protected by mag shielding, with freight and passenger turbolifts on either side. An identical set of turbolifts are at the opposite end of the bay, though a maze of crates in the middle obscures the view. A ship belonging to the

Kad throws up his hands: "I don't know them!" "Kad So/us!" a large, prune-faced Weequay shouts. ''Teemo wants to see you. Doesn't care if he sees you dead or alive." The mercenaries chuckle among themselves as they creep closer. "Typical," Kad mutters as he unslings his blaster. "You miss one payment. .. " "Blast them all'" The Weequay cries before unleashing a torrent of icy-blue blaster fire.

SHOOTOUTATHANGAR13 The GM should have the PCs roll Vigilance checks for Initiative. The mercenaries begin combat at long range from the PCs. The group's Klatooinian bruisers operate in three minion groups of four each. Its leader. Ak-Mal, charges Kad, while two Weequay snipers find cover and attack anyone targeting Ak-Mal. Each minion group picks one or two of the PCs to focus on. Kad Solus runs into the maze of crates and stealthily climbs atop them, immediately losing Ak-Mal. AkMal instead selects whichever PC is nearest to Kad's ship, and attacks. He remains near Kad's Aka'ior-class shuttle, the Dikutruni, until Kad resurfaces. Checks that generate ti or @ can cause errant bolts to hit crates, which can then do anything from releasing wild beasts to exploding or tempting PCs with valuables. Nearby freighter crews may even take sides in the battle. depending on how either side is faring against the other. If PCs eliminate all the Klatooinians and at least one other combatant, Ak-Mal orders a retreat. He regroups with any remaining Weequay snipers before fleeing for the turbolift, which takes two rounds to arrive. Note that @ generated during the fight can alert station security, who can muddy the

COURTING MANDALORIANS

FRJEM>SUIC.E11£SE

battle by sending a minion group of three security agents (use the Klatooinian bruiser minion. page 38. to stand in for station security) to attempt to arrest everyone involved. Should this happen. add ■ to any social skill checks with Vera Beroya later on. If the PCs kill any station security officers. add ■ ■ instead.

D SOLUS [RIVAL]

- ----

A respected member of the Mandalorian camp at Arumorut and the second in command to Vera. the camp's leader. Kad is a young, lanky human warrior in blue-andgreen armor. Kad was born into bondage, enslaved by Nok, a Thalassian slaver expanding his business on Tatooine. A number of years later, a local crime lord hired some of the Mandalorian mercenaries at Arumorut to eliminate Nok's operation. During the attack, Kad, at only five years of age, warned the Mandalorians before Nok could spring a trap. After the battle, a Mandalorian named Avin Solus adopted Kad and raised him as his own. Now, though still young, Kad is already a battle-hardened veteran and jaded beyond his years. When the blaster bolts start flying, he often sits back at first. finding the weak point in the enemy's strategy. Once the enemy notices him, he charges and attacks like a man expecting to die. His allies struggle to see the genius in his tactics, and call him mir'shupla, or"brain damaged," despite how often he r scues them.

qJ ~ 0 0 ~ qJ (*~'w-J ( "'ir··J Cm) 4

Skills: Coercion 1, Cool 3, Coordination 1, Discipline 2, Knowledge (Warfare) 2, Ranged (Heavy) 3, Vigilance 2. Talents: Adversary 1 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against Kad Solus once). Abilities: Mandalorian Visage (add ":¢f to the result of Coercion checks to intimidate if Kad is wearing his Mandalorian heavy battle armor). Equipment: GALAAR-1 5 blaster carbine (Ranged [Heavy]: Damage 9; Critical 2: Range [Long]: Accurate 1, Stun setting). Mandalorian heavy battle armor ( + 1 defense. + 2 soak). the Di1'.utruni (an Aka'ior-class shuttle).

AK-MAL, WEEQUAY HUNTER [RIVAL] Ak-Mal is a ruthless mercenary recently put on retainer by Teemo the Hutt, of the Desilijic kajidic on Tatooine. Ak-Mal has tracked Kad Solus to Vlemoth Port on behalf of Teemo, and has orders to capture or kill Kad and repossess his ship. Hailing from Sriluur. Ak-Mal was born into bondage and was enslaved as muscle for the Desilijic kajidic. Impressed with his skills. Teemo proposed a scheme that earned him his freedom and a generous loan, in exchange for a period of exclusivity working for Teemo. Ak-Mal is aggressive. famous for charging his enemies head on and finishing them off with his vibro-ax. He often works with a horde of Klatooinian bruisers. who

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY f any explosives detonate near the exterior of the station, © can be spent to cause a catastrophic structural collapse in the enormous structure. As the deck they are currently on buckles and tips, everyone in the affected hangar must make an Average (0◊) Athletics check to grab onto something solid, or they slide toward the collapsed floor. Success means that PC or NPC can hold on for that round. Nett} tJ or@, or additional net ~. can be spent to add an additional round. Anyone unable to hold onto something solid moves one range band each round toward the collapsed deck flooring.

I

It takes three rounds for Vlemoth Station control to activate the emergency repulsor braces. They can be activated sooner by making a Hard (◊◊ ◊) Computers check at a terminal located in the central pillar of the station.

are usually there only to soak up a few blaster bolts and confirm stories of his prowess in cantinas. To protect himself, he usually employs two Weequay Snipers to cover his reckless advances in combat. He is loyal to Teemo, and convincing him to stop and listen to an offer to help defend Xorrn is nearly impossible.

Skills: Brawl 2. Coercion 3. Melee 3. Perception 2, Ranged (Heavy) 2. Ranged (Light) I. Resilience 1, Stealth 2. Survival 3, Vigilance 2. Talents: Adversary 2 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against Ak-Mal twice). Abilities: Pheromone Communication (Weequay can communicate with each other when within short range in a way undetectable to non-Weequay). Equipment: Blaster rifle (Ranged [Heavy]; Damage 9: Critical 3: Range [Long]: Stun setting), 2 frag grenades (Ranged [Light]; Damage 8: Critical 4: Range [Short]; Blast 6. Limited Ammo 1). vibro-ax (Melee: Damage 7: Critical 2: Range [Engaged]: Pierce 2, Sunder, Vicious 3), heavy battle armor ( + 1 defense. + 2 soak). utility belt, extra reloads.

WEEQUAY SNIPER [RIVAL] Once he had won his autonomy, Ak-Mal immediately traveled to Sriluur to rescue two of his nieces before they could be enslaved. He hopes they can grow into equal partners one day, but for now they are instructed to hang back and protect Ak-Mal from a distance. Should Ak-Mal suffer too many injuries. one of the sisters attempts a rescue him while the other continues to provide protective fire from behind.

0 ~

(•*:i'*J (·@1~1•,j,•J

~~

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Skills: Athletics 1. Ranged (Heavy) 3, Perception 2, Survival 1. Vigilance 2. Talents: Expert Tracker (remove ■ from Survival checks to find or follow tracks or track targets: tracking targets takes half as long as usual). Abilities: Pheromone Communication (Weequay can communicate with each other when within short range in a way undetectable to non-Weequay). Equipment: Blaster rifle (Ranged [Heavy]; Damage 9; Critical 3: Range [Long]: Stun setting). padded armor ( + 2 soak). extra reloads.

COURTING MANOALORIANS

F'RJENDS LIKE ntESE

KLATOOINIAN BRUISER [MINION]

0/KUTRUNI

Ak-Mal travels with a dozen Klatooinian bruisers. who operate in three fire teams of four. They tend to charge aggressively and take cover once they are in range. Most of the henchmen are enslaved to Teemo the Hutt, who allows Ak-Mal to use them as he sees fit.

Kad Solus named his ship Dikutruni, which translates roughly as "soul of the fool." He has modified the Aka1or-class shuttle by adding armament. shielding, and a faster hyperdrive. Kad uses the ship to track bounties across the region. and to make contacts for new bounty acquisition. It features a narrow, boxy fuselage with a pair of large S-foils that rotate into a vertical position for landing. The rear of the ship has a small lift for boarding and cargo

Skills (group only): Brawl, Knowledge (Underworld).

Perception. Ranged (Light). Vigilance. Talents: None. Abilities: None. Equipment: Blaster pistol (Ranged [Light!: Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Medium!: Stun setting). heavy clothing ( + 1 soak)

ra-~~1~ ~. 1 C'i1w:,r :"'*(@:, (--'r*J w ·· ·· C"~u t*~~,,, 11

Hull Type/Class: Shuttle/modified AkOJOf. Manufacturer: MandalMotors. Hyperdrive: Primary: Class 2. Backup: None Navicomputer: None-astromech droid socket. Sensor Range: Long. Ship's Complement: One pilot, one co-pilot. Encumbrance Capacity: 75. Passenger Capacity: 2 prisoners. Consumables: Three months. Price/ Rarity: 135,000 credits (R)/6. Customization Hard Points: 1. Weapons: S-foil-mounted medium laser cannons (Fire

Arc Forward; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range !Close!; Linked I ). forward-mounted proton torpedo launcher (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 8; Critical 2; Range !Short!; Blast 6. Breach 6. Guided 2. Limited Ammo 3, Slow-Firing 1).

DIRTSIDE Once Teemo·s mercenaries are defeated or driven off, read the following aloud: "Well. that meeting could have gone better."' Kod soys as he slings his carbine bock over his shoulder. "Thanks for the help. We best get you dirtside before station security decides to detain us. Vera's not gonna like this one bit."

The PCs follow Kad's ship as he leads them to Arumorut. The time elapsed for the combat encounter and the flight down. barring any time-consuming mishaps, is approximately an hour.

WELCOME TO ARUMORUT ad Sol us leads the PCs to Arumorut. where the party must convince the clan chieftain to help defend Xorrn. Unfortunately, Chieftain Beroya is preparing her mercenaries for a different job. The PCs must find a productive use of their time while waiting.

K

HILL HIKING The PCs land in a small valley between two foothills in a coniferous forest and Kad leads them on a thirtyminute hike up the hill toward the clan home. Read the following aloud: As you walk toward the base of the hill, you see a group of middle-aged Mandalorians in a womp rat pile punching, pulling, shouting, and laughing at each other until a bolo-ball squirts out from the pile and lands at Kad's feet. One of the young Mandalorians recognizes Kad and shouts, "Mir'shupla! We've got room for one more!" Kad deftly juggles the ball between his feet and knees before bashing his forehead into it, sending the ball back toward the scrambling pile of warriors. "Sorry, gotta bring this lot up top. Next time, ner vod!"

While hiking to and touring the camp, the PCs may have some questions for Kad Solus. which he can answer as noted below: • Why aren't you on Mandalore? ·our clan left Mandalore before I was born. Clan politics." Kad spits "Apparently some Mandalorians didn't want to fight for a living, and the ones who did had a cause. We came out here to keep it simple. make our own way in the universe." •

How many warriors are here? "There are about eight-hundred of us. but six Mandalorians are worth a platoon of most troops. There's a fair number out working, but if Vera puts out the call. they'll come running."

• What's with all the furry guys? "The Talz? They live nearby- there are tons of tribes of 'em. We've made a deal with the Gnaaz tribe, mutually beneficial. We keep the slavers off them: they let us train in cold weather survival and hand-to-hand combat. Good practice for fighting Barabels or Wookiees. Though some of the other tribes see us as intruders."

ARUMORUT For almost two decades. a splinter faction of Mandalorian Clan Awaud has made its home on the northern foothills of Vlemoth Port. Arumorut roughly translates to "home away from home." The trees have exceptionally thick trunks that reach up to thirty meters high, with hard wood perfect for construction. A kilometer north of the camp center is a clear lake fed by distant, snowcapped mountains. Beyond the mountains is the tundra. home to dozens of independent tribes ofTalz, including the Mandalorians· allies. the Gnaaz tribe. From Arumorut, Clan Awaud takes on mercenary and bounty hunting jobs throughout the southern Slice and Western Reaches. Each location presents a brief read-aloud descriptions to intersperse between the PCs' questions as they climb. .

VHEH'YAIM A massive grass and bark dome sits atop the foothill. A constant stream of Mandalorians flows to and from the dome, carrying large crates and repeating blaster emplacements. A mixed group of Mandalorians and Talz near the entrance listens as a loud warrior tells a war story. Arumorut's largest building is a fifty-meter-wide dome fortress. its base set several meters beneath the ground. It is surfaced in tree bark and mud for camouflage. Also known as Clan Home. the dome has two narrow. reinforced cylindrical towers ten and fifteen meters high. from which sharpshooters can defend it. The main entrance, sunk into the ground at the foot of a small stairwell, opens onto a small atrium. The atrium leads to a circular, thirty-meter-wide common area known as the karyai. which has five long tables running its length. The karyai has rustic but functional decor, mixing exposed wood and roughhewn furniture with industrial tables. The room can easily seat several hundred guests. Here. Chieftain Vera Beroya hosts her entire clan for battle planning and feasts. The fortresslike home also has an armory, a large kitchen. a study, an infirmary, and private quarters for twenty of her clan's most senior members. her top military leaders. and their immediate families.

• Is something going on? "Looks like it. I'll have to ask Vera; looks like she caught a big job.·

COURTING MANOALORIANS

FRIEJIDS LDC£ nESE

AKAATA'YAIM Halfway up the hill, set around a tree, is a domelike structure covered in grass and tree bark. Just outside, a young boy and girl, visibly scraped and bruised, are fighting with savage efficiency. An older Manda/orion woman watches with crossed arms, occasionally commenting on their technique. Kad and the woman exchange nods as the boy stares at the outsiders. The girl takes it as an opening and hip tosses the boy to the ground, initiating a scramble as the children roll in the dirt.

Akaata·yaim are smaller copies of the clan home scattered about the nearby hills. These smaller redoubts are only three to fifteen meters across. The sixteen largest seNe as platoon barracks. each with underground tunnels leading to the vheh'yaim . Small families, couples. and the occasional loner construct smaller domes to secure a measure of privacy.

KILLING TIME ad leads the PCs to the clan home and instructs them to wait outside. When he returns fifteen minutes later. read the following aloud:

K

"Okay, so the boss is meeting with a client, and I really need to join her. Co ahead and have a look around; entertain yourselves. There's a cantina that way." Kad points toward a lake in the distance. "Come back in about two hours; /'II meet you here and take you in."

DRINKING WITH TEROCH If the PCs fol low Kad's directions. they find the Sheb Niktose cantina. recognizable by its sign, which features a cartoonish Nikto receiving a strong boot sheathed in Mandalorian armor to his backside. The intimate pub's dim lighting almost obscures the adolescent working behind the bar. Two raucous Mandalorian warriors are at the bar, each with a half-filled mug of black ale. When the PCs sit down, they attract the notice of the warriors. the larger of whom says the following aloud:

With that. Kad departs, leaving the PCs to explore their surroundings. They can choose to find the cantina, participate in a rescue effort, or just wait around. which can lead to a scuffle with some young Mandalorians. While each activity takes up a different amount of time, at minimum, the PCs must wait two hours before Vera is ready to meet with them.

WASTED TIME

P

Cs unused to diplomatic negotiations or dealing with political leadership might express frustration at the prospect of wasting two hours waiting to speak with Vera Beroya. To handle this stress, GMs should feel free to ask for Cool or Discipline checks that slowly increase in difficulty as the countdown to the Imperial invasion nears. A successful check indicates the PC is dealing with the stress without issue, while a failed check forces the PC to suffer 2 strain that cannot be replenished until the end of the episode. PCs who fail the check should be encouraged to play up their irritability and impatience during the wait.

"You there: you must be those aruetiise Kad brought down." The hulking warrior takes a giant swig from his mug, spilling sweet. black nectar down his facial hair and onto his armor. "Slide on down and have a drink with old Teroch." The aging Manda/orion motions to the youth behind the bar, who promptly brings fresh mugs for everyone present. "What brings you to Arumorut?"

The PCs can learn quite a bit about Vera and the Mandalorian camp from Teroch, provided they can keep up with his drinking. In order to hear more of Teroch's story, the PCs must first do a shot of tihaar (see Table 2-1: Mandalorian Menu, on page 41) with Teroch. The first shot requires an Easy (♦l Resilience check, but each successive shot cumulatively increases the difficulty by one. Alternatively, PCs can fake taking a drink by using the Deception skill. Faking their drinking of the first shot is a Formidable(♦♦♦ ♦ ♦l Deception check, but each time Teroch drinks a shot downgrades the difficulty once. As long as one PC succeeds at the check, Teroch tells another part of his story. PCs can spend t) t)

TABLE 2-1: MANDALORIAN MENU Tihaar

I BlackAle Mandalorian Ale

5 credits

A strong, clear spirit. tihaar is serveo in a short glass. or over ice, to be enjoyed slowly.

6 credits [ A popular Mandalorian ale. dark and thick with a sweet flavor. 4 credits

_ _ ___,

A light, bitter brew, cheap to produce, also known as kri'gee. Suffering the painful hangover without complaint the next day is often seen as a sign of Mandalorian fortitude.

or @ to get Teroch to answer a question. @ can also mean Teroch buys himself another shot, but forgets to order one for the PCs, continuing his story without requiring another check. If the entire party fails a round of checks, or if a PC generates @ @ as a check result, Teroch may stop telling his story. However, he can be convinced to continue with a successful Hard (e ♦ ♦) Charm check. The check should earn ■ each time he has to be convinced to go on. PCs who fail a Resilience check upgrade the difficulty of all Resilience checks for the duration of the encounter. PCs who generate @ @ @ or @ on a Resilience check earn ■ on all checks for the rest of

the episode, thanks to the intoxication and eventual hangover. However, the penalty can be removed with an Average(♦♦) Medicine check and two hours of rest. Teroch's story and questions PCs are likely to ask are listed below: • Teroch's Story, part 1: "Bet you're wondering

how an enclave of Mandalorians ended up this far from Mandalore. Ole Nam Beroya, Vera's father, led us out here. Didn't like the way Mandalore was headed. You had the shabla pacifists on one side under Kryze, and the Death Watch, who'd have led us on some barvy crusade, on the other. Nam wanted to keep on the old path. Simple mercenary and bounty hunter work. No politics. Suited me just fine; that's why I signed on with him ...Adiik, let's do another round." • Teroch's Story, part 2: "Anyway, that must have

been over twenty years ago. Sure, we spent some time working security for the Separatists during the Clone Wars, even took some jobs with the Hutts. Anyway, a few years in the field makes a Mandalorian want to put down roots. Nam found this place, and we've been working from Arumorut ever since. Let's do another, my treat!" • Teroch's Story, part 3: "So we get here, Nam

keeps the clan busy, plenty of work. One of our first contracts was with the Talz. Slavers come by here, looking to scoop up a few prize Talz warriors, figure them for easy pickings. Nam set up a deal where we defend the Talz from Zygerrian slavers and they pay by coming out here and participating in celebrations twice a year. Good training. Not too many chances to practice wrestling a Wookiee: Talz give us that. Nam always was good at setting up work... Let's do some more tihaar: • Teroch's Story, part 4: "What happened to Nam?

About two years back, we pick up a slave ship, Aurore-class. inbound. So about thirty of us mount up and make for the Gnaaz village. We get there and they've already captured dozens of Talz. There were more than usual, and they had a few ships hovering over the village. Nasty stuff, almost as nasty as that tihaar they serve around here. Haili cetare! For Nam1· Teroch toasts. doing another shot.

COURTING MANOALORIANS

F1UENDS UK£ 1MESE

• Teroch's Story, part 5: "Anyway, ole Nam is trying to get a few Talz who got separated back to the group. He's mowing through Zygerrians like frond grass, and the Zygerrians must decide that taking Nam out is worth more than the slaves he's protecting, because they level the turbolaser at him and it starts heating up. or Nam just shoves a Talz out of the way and takes it right in the buy·ce. Saw it myself. We couldn't help him right away, the fighting was too fierce, but when we got there, all we found was his charred helmet. Vera is still in denial about the whole thing, poor Vera ...Adiik, one more round, then close me out." • Teroch's Story, part 6: ·so Vera. Nam's daughter. she took over the clan. She's a fury in the field: you'd think she's staring down Nam's killers every time she fights. Like a true Mandalorian berserker. Fiercest warrior I've ever seen. Shame she isn't as good at lining up work as Nam. though. Ah. don't listen to an old gogi like me.·

If the results of the PCs' checks generate at least

t) t) or @ in total. Teroch will answer anything. Some likely questions include: •

•

How many warriors are at Arumorut? "We are at battalion strength-eight hundred warriors-or at least, we can be within a few hours if Vera puts out the call. There's probably five hundred here right now, but most of us are already contracted for this thing Vera's organizing." What do you think of the Empire? "Don't much care about it one way or the other, myself, and I suspect they don't care much about us either. We've fought off Imperial patrols for clients before, though. Killed more than my share of stormtroopers.·

•

Would you ever join the Rebels? "As if they could afford to keep us on retainer! Way I hear. the Alliance is short on credits, and the jobs are long on danger. Not the ideal client. Still, we fought for the Separatists before; Rebels aren't much different."

•

Any tips for dealing with Vera? "Just one: shoot straight with her. No messing around. She likes it when everything's simple. You tell her what you need done, and what you can pay. She'll either take it or she won't. Simple. You lie about it? It gets one of hers killed. She'll gut you without a thought."

•

Is there anything Vera wants or needs? "Other than her father back from the dead? We need work. I know Vera wants more ships, and the jobs that can come with them. Right now, we only have a few dropships. We all fit, but just barely."

Drinking with Teroch should take about an hour. The party can then meet with the clan chieftain to negotiate Mandalorian assistance at Xorrn. Skip ahead to In Lieu of Payment (page 4 7).

COURTING MANDALORIANS

FRIDIDS LIKE 11tESE

MISSING HUNTERS Under the supervision of two cold-weather survival experts, young Mandalorians often go on training hunts with Talz from the Gnaaz tribe who are coming of age. Over a number of days, the hunters stalk wild icetrompers, motmots. and narglatches while learning about fighting and surviving in extreme environments. Sixteen young Mandalorians. eight young Talz. and a pair of instructors hiked north nearly a week ago, and they haven't been heard from since. Unfortunately, as the PCs discover if they investigate, tensions between the local Talz tribes have risen much higher than the Mandalorians suspect. One of the nearby tribes attacked the hunters when they ventured into its territory and has taken a number of them prisoner.

VOLUNTEER RESCUE PCs wandering around Arumorut near the clan home can overhear two Mandalorian parents recruiting a search and rescue party. The Mandalorians are about to head out on foot, since all available starships and airspeeders are being prepared for a big job. They have already gathered four other concerned Mandalorians and four Talz to participate in the search. If the PCs offer to help with the use of their starship, the Mandalorians and Talz alike are extremely grateful.

SEARCH PATTERN The Mandalorians can direct the PCs to the last known location of the hunting party. Once the PCs are ♦ ♦l there, their ship's pilot must make a Hard Piloting (Planetary) check using Cunning instead of Agility to fly a search pattern without skipping over vital ground. Flying the search grid successfully takes an hour. though generating@ can cut the time in half. Failure automatically increases the difficulty of future Computers and Perception checks to locate signs of the hunting party by one. @ can force the ship out of position, doubling the amount of time it takes to search the grid.

ce

While the pilot is flying the search pattern, the copilot can make a Daunting C♦ ♦ ♦ ♦l Computers check to use the ship's sensors to search for signs of the hunters. Passengers looking from the cockpit or a turret can make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Perception check to search for signs of a camp. Success reveals a rapidly cooling campsite and a nearby clearing large enough for the ship to land in. If Lira Hardin is with the party at Vlemoth Port, she volunteers to help with the sensors, adding DD to any Computers checks to locate the camp.

EXPLORING CAMP When the party arrives at the hunting group's campsite, a brief investigation reveals an obvious trail of footprints and small droplets of blood leading towards a distant canyon. No skill check is necessary to notice this trail. However, if they wish, PCs may investigate the site for further clues as to what happened there. The checks that follow provide what additional information is available. While success conveys the listed information, @ or @ can grant additional false information that leads the party to believe the hunters turned on each other. A failed check means no additional information is gleaned from the site with that check. •

Daunting (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦) Brawl or Melee check:

Success reveals tree bark splintered by Melee weapons, as well as tufts of bloody Talz fur and bent pieces of tech broken off from Mandalorian armor, suggesting hand-to-hand combat occurred between Talz and Mandalorians at the camp. tJ, tJ, tJ, reveals that some Talz almost certainly fought other Talz as well.

•

Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Knowledge (Xenology) check:

Success reveals that the blood in the snow is Talz blood. tJ, tJ, discovers more Talz blood smeared on a small rock, as if it were used as a weapon. •

Average (♦ ♦l Ranged (Light or Heavy) check:

Success reveals the Mandalorians employed the full range of their weaponry in the fight, including blasters. Trees and rocks exhibit blaster scarring. @ reveals charred bits of organic matter consistent with cauterized blaster wounds. • Average (♦ ♦l Survival check: Success reveals

that the campfire burnt itself out a few hours ago.

tJ, tJ, reveals that all the tracks in the snow are Talz and narglatch prints, but deep, as if they were burdened with a heavy load.

BAD WEATHER

ICY DESCENT

The search party takes off in the direction of the canyon, but the weather conditions have turned. Vehicles are forced to remain grounded unless the PCs succeed on a Daunting(♦♦♦♦) Piloting (Planetary) check to fly above the weather or a Formidable (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦) Piloting (Planetary) check to brave the weather conditions. Frigid wind whips through the trees. As the temperature drops, all PCs out in the wilderness must make an Average C♦ ♦l Resilience check with ■ to resist the effects of the cold. PCs who fail this check have their strain threshold lowered by one until they return to Arumorut, and add ■ to all Brawn and Agility-related checks for the remainder of the search. Comms are out thanks to the weather and won't open back up until the end of the search.

The party eventually reaches a fissure in the ice, and their Talz companions point out a narrow path leading further into the crevasse. The trail is slick with fresh ice. requiring an Average(• ♦) Coordination check to guard against slipping. Each net @ deals one point of strain. while Y or@ can cause a fall. Falling deals 6 damage, plus 1 damage per net Y . and moves that PC to the canyon's bottom near a chilly stream. In the case of @, that player falls and arrives at the bottom of the canyon unconscious.

The weather conditions quickly erase any semblance of a trail, but the Talz say they have ventured deep into the territory of the Dehaam tribe. The Dehaam are a particularly insular tribe who think the Gnaaz weak and foolish for living so closely with the Mandalorians. The Talz who accompany the PCs in the search assume that the Dehaam are responsible for. or know something about, the hunting party's disappearance. If vehicles are grounded, the PCs' Talz and Mandalorian companions immediately strike off on foot towards the Dehaam camp in the icy canyon ahead. If asked, they admit they might already be too late to save their loved ones. Upon entering the canyon. the PCs can feel an extreme drop in temperatures requiring a Hard(♦♦♦) Resilience check with ■ ■ to resist the cold or suffer the same negative effects listed above. The march to the canyon takes approximately an hour.

Assuming the party doesn't fall, they eventually reach a safer spot to descend. It takes a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Athletics check to climb down the icy rocks. If the PCs lost someone on the path earlier, they can attempt the climb down before this point, but this increases the difficulty of the check by one. On a failed check, each net Y deals one point of strain, while @ @ @ or @ can cause a fall. Falling deals 3 damage plus 1 damage per net Y . At the bottom, a slowmoving stream divides the wide canyon floor. The Talz motion the party to walk upstream. The climb through the crevasse takes approximately thirty minutes.

TRIBAL TENSION A kilometer farther along the canyon floor. the PCs come to the edge of the Dehaam Talz village. Read the following aloud: The stream cuts through a forest of primitive bone and fur tents. Ahead is a bloodied Manda/orion warrior. suspended over the stream in a bone cage. He is stripped to the waist, and his wounds leak freely into the stream. Before you can react, Talz swarm the search party, surrounding you in a circle of razor-sharp spears. After a moment, a larger Talz with an elaborate bone headdress breaks through the circle and warbles angrily. This is clearly the chieftain of the Dehaam tribe.

It is up to the PCs whether they wish to fight, negotiate, or attempt single combat for the release of the prisoners. FIGHT

If the PCs decide to solve the problem with violence, the Dehaam forces consist of four minion groups of five Talz warriors each, two Talz hunters, and the Talz chieftain. All are at engaged range. The PCs have six Mandalorian warriors and a minion group of four Talz warriors in their search party. Two enemy Talz warrior minion groups of three team up against the Mandalorian warriors (see page 46), while the other two enemy Talz minion groups of three target the PCs. The Talz hunters and chieftain focus on the friendly Talz. If the PCs and their allies can defeat half the enemy Talz, or inflict at least 8 wounds on the chieftain, they can attempt to switch to a negotiation track with a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) social skill check, gaining a D to all future social skill checks with the Dehaam. Otherwise. they must defeat all the Dehaam. NEGOTIATE

If the PCs can keep their allies calm with a Hard C♦ ♦ ♦) Leadership check, a diplomatic solution is

possible. The Dehaam village has no members who speak Basic, and even the Gnaaz struggle to understand their dialect. Add ■■ to all checks to account for potential communications mix-ups. Thanks to Talz tribal politics. most chieftains would prefer death to displaying weakness in public. Any attempts to threaten or bully the chieftain fall on deaf ears, and so upgrade the difficulty of all Coercion checks twice. The chieftain is open to trading the prisoners for various trinkets or technological items. Players can use Charm or Deception to make innocuous items seem much more interesting. adding O to checks using those tactics. However, if @ @ or @ are generated, the GM can select an item owned by a PC that the chieftain wants. If they deny the chieftain, they upgrade the difficulty of all checks made for the rest of the negotiation once.

SINGLE COMBAT

Another potential resolution to the standoff is to challenge the chieftain to single combat. An Average C♦ ♦) social skill check is required to convince the chieftain to face one of the PCs alone in melee combat to determine the fate of the prisoners. The chieftain must be defeated, or the PC must succeed at a Hard C♦ ♦ ♦) social skill check to convince the chieftain to yield after he has suffered 10 wounds.

TALZ CHIEFTAIN [RIVAL] The Talz follow the strongest among them. The best chieftains consult with the eldest members of the tribe. while reminding the younger hunters of their strength and prowess to stave off challenges to their rule. Chieftains are responsible for protecting both the tribe and their hunting grounds from outsiders.

~ («M~@-J (ffdllilbll•~~~ ) (Ml 4

Skills: Brawl 1, Coercion 3, Melee 2. Perception 2,

Ranged (Light) 3, Stealth 3, Survival 3. Talents: None. Abilities: Adversary 1 (upgrade difficulty of all com-

bat checks against this target once). Equipment: Ceremonial spear (thrown) (Ranged [Light!: Damage 9; Critical 2: Range !Short!: Limited Ammo l) or (melee) (Melee; Damage 8: Critical 2: Range !Engagedl), knife (Melee; Damage 5: Critical 3; Range [Engagedl).

TALZ HUNTER [RIVAL] The best hunters in any Talz tribe are like ghosts on the tundra. ambushing their prey from within snowdrifts. or slaying a creature with a spear from thirty meters away. The tribe's very best hunter often aspires to the position of chieftain. a right earned through single combat.

~ ~c~~~ c-w:enn-J c""tt·) (Ml

Skills: Brawl I , Coercion 3, Melee 2, Perception 2,

Ranged (Light) 3, Resilience 2, Stealth 3. Survival 3, Vigilance 2. Talents: None. Abilities: None. Equipment: Two hunting spears (thrown) (Ranged [Light!; Damage 9: Critical 3: Range !Short!: Limited Ammo I) or (melee) [Melee; Damage 7; Critical 2; Range [Engagedl), knife (Melee: Damage 5; Critical 3; Range IEngagedl).

COURTING MANDALORIANS

FRJEM>S' LIKE nlESE

TALZ WARRIOR [MINION] The Talz living in Vlemoth Port's northern tundra are generally peaceful but very xenophobic. Thanks to frequent clashes with slavers. they view intrusions by outsiders as acts of aggression. Talz warriors tend to own at least one hunting spear, which they can either throw or use as a melee weapon. Their bone knives, designed to skin animals, are also useful in combat.

~~~~~ 0 (·,,.:r·)

cJOCi•~•i•••)

CM)

Skills (group only): Brawl, Coercion, Melee, Ranged (Light). Survival, Vigilance. Talents: None. Abilities: None. Equipment: Hunting spear (thrown) (Ranged [Lightl: Damage 9; Critical 3; Range [Shortl; Limited Ammo 1) or hunting spear (melee) (Melee; Damage 7; Critical 2; Range [Engagedl), knife (Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range [Engagedl).

NO MANDO LEFT BEHIND Shortly after the combat or negotiations are settled, the weather clears and the PCs can comm Kad to ask him to secure them a medevac immediately. The Mandalorian instructor who had been suspended over the river has lost a lot of blood thanks to multiple spear wounds. The Gnaaz Talz lower the instructor into the stream to numb the pain of the wounds and clean them. A Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Medicine check with ■ ■ for the conditions and elapsed time is necessary to stabilize the instructor for transport. If the PCs return to Arumorut with the lost hunting party, they are welcomed almost as if they were a part of the clan. It takes another hour to account for the encounter with the Talz, awaiting the medevac, and traveling back to Arumorut.

MANDALORIAN METTLE If the party decides to just wait for two hours near the clan home until Vera is ready to see them, they find they won't be left in peace. Eventually, a group of Mandalorians challenges the party to a friendly sparring match. A number of young Mandalorian warriors equal to the number of PCs in the party approach the group. The leader steps forward and jabs his chin in the party's direction. Read the following aloud:

"You don't look like the typical shabla diplomats out here to exploit our muscle," the leader says, coming uncomfortably close as he evaluates your frame. dress, and equipment. "You maybe came here thinking you could get some training, yeah?" The young man's cohorts chuckle at his remark. "/ think we can help with that. Let's see what you've got!" With that, the young man smirks and makes a show of handing his blaster to a younger member of their gang before putting his fists up. His cohorts follow suit and assume a fighting stance in front of the party. If the PCs try to argue that they are here to hire Mandalorians, not fight them, the youth simply says that any good buyer tests the wares first. The Mandalorians are all barely into their twenties and are just looking for a bit of fun.

MANDALORIAN WARRIOR [RIVAL] Every sentient being born in Arumorut begins training in combat at a very young age. While many choose one specific skill to specialize in, all Mandalorians at Arumorut pride themselves on their combat prowess. It is common for younger warriors to constantly seek new challenges and ways to test their skills.

~

0 (p_-~-l (-w,6,••J c•nrr·•) CM)

QJ 0

Skills: Brawl 3. Coercion 2. Cool 2, Discipline 2, Knowledge (Warfare) 2, Ranged (Heavy) 2, Ranged (Light) 2, Vigilance 2.

ICONIC MATCH-UP hould one of the PCs be carrying a lightsaber or otherwise recognizable as a Force user, it attracts great interest from the leader of the young Mandalorians. In this encounter, the GM may, if wished, add Adversary 1 and a mythosaur axe to a single Mandalorian warrior rival, and have the scuffle function as a one-on-one duel.

S

A crowd soon develops, and most bystanders are willing to bet up to 25 credits on the Mandalorian youth, though they can be talked into doubling that with a successful opposed social skill check. Each bet made with the PCs allows a PC to ask a question about the Mandalorians during the fight. See Drinking with Teroch, on page 40, for potential questions and answers.

Talents: Point Blank 2 (adds two damage to one hit of

successful Ranged (Heavy) or Ranged (Light) attacks made while at short range or engaged.). Abilities: None. Equipment: Armored gauntlet (Brawl; Damage 4: Critical 4: Range !Engaged]: Disorient 3. Knockdown). GHOVOR-22 blaster pistol (Ranged !Light]: Damage 6; Critical 4; Range !Medium]: Stun setting), Mandalorian heavy battle armor (+ 1 defense, + 2 soak). mythosaur axe (Melee: Damage 7; Critical 2: Range !Engaged]; Cortosis. Pierce 3, Vicious 3).

EARNED RESPECT The fight ends after five combat rounds. or when all the participants on one side have been defeated. The

fight should be an unarmed battle. and any wounds suffered can be healed with a successful Average (♦ ♦l Resilience check. Failure means only half the wounds are healed, and the rest might require medical attention on the way back to Xorrn. The entire interaction only takes fifteen minutes.

TIME WELL SPENT Once the two hours (or more) are up, the PCs can return to the clan home. Upon their entry, Kad approaches the PCs and leads them across the karyai, now filled with Mandalorians and a few Talz. likely enjoying their last home-cooked meal before leaving Vlemoth Port.

IN LIEU OF PAYMENT the PCs into a smaller conference room, KadwhereleadsChieftain Vera Beroya awaits the party. The

room has a long island countertop in the center. Behind the counter are a half-dozen armored Mandalorians and a Talz chieftain. The Mandalorians remove their helmets when the party enters, and PCs might recognize Teroch among them. Read the following aloud: "Oya, Ver'ika," Kad nods at a massive woman in black-and-red armor. "These are the potential clients I picked up at Vlemoth Station." Kad motions for you to take the opposite side of the countertop, joining Vera. "Thank you, Mer'shupl'ika," Vera says, tilting her head and looking you over for a moment. "I appreciate your patience. You picked a busy day to hire a Manda/orion. Now what brings you to Arumorut?"

NEGOTIATING WITH VERA Vera Beroya is unlike most leaders the PCs may have encountered. She is nearly impossible to threaten or bully, and she has zero tolerance for liars. She is resistant to cheap flattery as well. If the PCs are caught deceiving Vera. future social skill checks against her have their difficulty upgraded once. As a Mandalorian veteran of countless engagements. Vera is unmoved by threats, and any Coercion checks suffer ■■. while cheaper attempts to flatter her person suffer ■. During their time in Aurumorut, the PCs may have earned the favor of some of Vera's warriors or learned information that could aid them in their negotiations. See the What the PCs Have Earned sidebar, on page 48 for specifics.

BARTERING SERVICES The PCs can now open negotiations for Mandalorian assistance. Securing Mandalorians to help defend Xorrn requires three successful opposed social skill checks. The first is to convince Beroya the job is worth taking, the second concerns how many troops she can send, and the final check is to determine what she gets in return. If any of the three checks results in failure with@, negotiations end. and the party is sent away without assistance. t) can be spent on any of the checks to get Kad or Teroch to volunteer for the mission, increasing the number of Mandalorians present by one. Similarly, @ means Vera agrees to accompany her warriors to Xorrn.

MERCENARY CONTRACT The first check requires an opposed social skill check to explain to Vera what the job is in a way that convinces her to take it on. This can be accomplished with nearly any social skill, at the GM's discretion. Don't forget to include any modifiers that have been accrued due to how the party spent the previous two hours, or due to anything they learned about the Mandalorians during their initial research on Xorrn. If Kai Coorsa is with the party at Vlemoth Port. he adds to the plea for help by explaining he only wishes to do what is best for his people and doesn't want to fail them after inheriting leadership from his dead grandfather. This touches a cord with Vera and downgrades the difficulty of the opposed social skill check twice. Success means Vera agrees to send some Mandalorians. Failure means she considers the job far too risky, and only allows volunteers to go t) t) t) or@ means Vera is impressed with the party and downgrades the next social skill check with her once. @ @ means Vera

COURTING MANOALORIANS

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considers the affair a debacle waiting to happen, and adds ■■ to the next social skill check with her. After the party has made its case, read the following aloud:

Vera's eyes narrow. in realization that the job would almost certainly take the lives of some of her clan members. "Most of my warriors are spoken for. and this sounds like dangerous work. Still, I could send some warriors. "

WHAT THE PCS HAVE EARNED epending on how t he PC's spent their time in Arumorut, they may have earned a number of benefits when dealing with Beroya.

D •

TAKING A HEADCOUNT The next step is to determine how many Mandalorians are willing and able to go to Xorrn. While most of Vera's warriors are headed into Hutt Space to provide security for touchy negotiations between kajidics, she can spare a few. The party can have one PC make an opposed social skill check against Vera; if Vera is only allowing volunteers, then treat the check as being made against Kad Solus.

grants ■.

•

The Pride of Combat: If the PCs defeated the youths in the Mandalorian Mettle encounter, on page 46, the party can upgrade the ability of a single social skill check against Vera Beroya while negotiating for her assistance once. If the PCs caused serious or permanent injuries to the kids, or used lethal force against them, they instead suffer O D to all social skill checks against Vera Beroya. Being defeated by the kids, or having the fight end in a draw. puts Vera i n a good mood, adding ■ to a single social skill check with Vera.

•

Rescuing the Lost: If the PCs aided in returning the lost hunting party to Arumorut, detailed on page 42, they have earned the respect and gratitude of Vera Beroya and her people. PCs can upgrade all their social skill checks against Vera once. If the PCs convince Vera to help them, then in addition to any Mandalorians they hire, t he PCs also gain a squad of eight Talz warriors who volunteer to accompany them to Xorrn.

Success means a squad of eight Mandalorians agrees to accompany the PCs to Xorrn. Failure means only a fire team of four. Net t), t), or an additional net ~ can be spent to add an additional warrior. @ @ means Vera expects high compensation and upgrades the difficulty of the next social skill check with her once. After the number of Mandalorians to be sent is decided. read the following aloud:

Vera consults with Teroch, Kad. and some of the other warriors before turning back to you. ''This is a very dangerous job, against very long odds. How are you planning to pay for the blood of my comrades?"

WARRIORS' WAGES The final part of negotiations is setting a price for Mandalorian assistance. Offering Vera something her clan needs, or raw credits, adds O O to any check. Arumorut is in need of starfighters and dropships so the clan can secure more mercenary contracts. If the PCs are aware of the prisoners with bounties on their heads at Xorrn, this knowledge can be spent like credits. Vera would also be interested in an official letter of marque from the Rebel Alliance, so she can sell back Imperial prisoners or cargo without hassle. Vera personally would also be interested in potential intelligence on her father's whereabouts, which adds D to any offer made. However, her chief concerns are protecting her clan, getting them work, and acquinng starships to increase the range and type of work her clan can do. Offering Vera anything that doesn't work toward that end adds ■ to ■ ■ ■ to the check, at the GM's discretion.

COURTING MANOALORIANS

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Teroch's Tale: If the PC's listened to Teroch's story on page 40-42, they have learned a valuable piece of information. If they chose to mention her father's penchant for helping those in need, they gain ■■■ to any social skill check with her, though this has diminishing returns. The first time grants ■ ■ ■ to the check, but the second adds ■■. and the third only

If Lira Hardin is with the party at Vlemoth Port, she offers to build a squadron of ships like Kad Solus's Dikutruni as part of the payment. This upgrades the ability of the social skill check for this phase of negotiations once. Once a price has been set. negotiations are concluded.

ZY6ERRIAN SLAVE EMPIRE

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illennia ago, Zygerrians subjugated entire planets and civilizations t hroughout the Outer Rim Territories. Thei r slaving empire ran from Argazda down the Salin Corridor. and it spanned the entire Triellus Trade Route to Ryloth along the Corellian Run. The Zygerrian Empire supplied slaves to several Outer Rim powers, including the Chevins of Vinsoth and t he sprawling Hutt Empire.

Several thousand years ago, the Jedi Knights spearheaded a campaign to abolish slavery in the Outer Rim Territories, which primarily targeted Zygerrians. After a brutal conflict, the Zygerrian Empire fractured, and its power base crumbled. Having lost their power and i nfluence, the Zygerrians retreated to their homeworld to pick up the pieces. The Zygerrians spent millennia rebuilding their empire, and by the time of the Clone Wars. they were once again a dominant force in sentient trafficking, rebranded as the Zygerrian Slavers

Guild. With the blessing of t he Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the aid of mercenaries and pirates. the Zygerrians preyed upon helpless systems isolated by the war. Zygerrians established outposts on far-off worlds such as Kowak and Listehol to support their efforts, creating satellite markets to expand their influence to its former glory. After Zygerrian Prime Minister Atai Molec overthrew the ruling Queen Scintel and assumed the throne, the Zygerrian Slave Empire was reborn. Barring setbacks during the Imperial reconquest of the Ri m, Zygerria's expansion has gone largely unchecked since the formation of the Empire. The Zygerrian monarchy negotiated a deal with the Emperor to restrict slaving operations to the Outer Rim in exchange for amnesty from Imperial sovereignty. The Zygerrian Empire has renewed ties with the Hutt kajidics. and it is once again the premier source of enslaved Togrutas. Theelins, and Twi'leks in the Outer Rim.

MEAN STREETS aptain Renlow or the PCs' research suggests that the party seek an audience with the Zygerrian prince on Kowak in the neighboring Sevetta sector. Sclavos. the seat of the prince's power, is the most likely place for such an audience. An Average (♦ ♦) Knowledge (Outer Rim) or (Underworld) check uncovers knowledge of other. smaller slaver organizations on Kowak: the Karazak Slavers· Cooperative, Thalassians, and Trandoshans. ti can reveal that the Rebellion recently began harassing Thalassian convoys trafficking sentients in the New Territories and raiding Karazak forced labor camps in the Western Reaches in order to free slaves. Should the Thalassians suspect any of the PCs are allies of the Rebellion, the slavers would try to capture them to present as trophies for the Blood Prince of Thalassia to mutilate at his leisure. @ discovers rumors that the Zygerrian prince's palace is an ancient Sith temple or has been built upon the remnants of one.

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SCLAVOS An outpost of the Zygerrian royal throne, Sclavos is the de facto capital of Kowak. The city sits high atop the jungle canopy, on a red, rhombus-shaped granite plateau several kilometers across. Three sides of Sclavos Plateau are cliffs rising nearly thirty meters above steep embankments covered in dense vegetation. The fourth side is a series of rocky outcroppings that gradually slope downward into the jungle below. From above, Sclavos is a patchwork pile of bronzium, golden. and patinated rooftops. Thousands of merchants. slavers, and buyers move about the crowded streets. Dozens of primitive huts and villages surrounded by tall wire fences rest on several lower landings to make up the slave sector, connected by a narrow dirt road that slithers along the slope toward the jungle. A smooth granite wall ten meters high cages the slave sector and keeps out jungle predators. The Molec Royal Palace dominates the plateau's northern peninsula. The enormous jade and obsidian ziggurat towers high above the rest of the city, its countless open-air terraces traversed by hundreds of royal guards. Brezak-mounted patrols and hidden turbolaser emplacements supplement the palace defenses to discourage unwelcome visitors.

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ZVGERRIAN ROYAL GUARD [RIVAL] The Zygerrians who serve within the royal guard are the elite soldiers of the Zygerrian Slave Empire. Their duties are to protect the royal family and their holdings. and to help ensure that slavery within the Empire thrives. These brutes patrol the streets of Sclavos, enforcing the Malec family's rule and defending it from equally malicious rival slavers. Zygerrian royal guards are trained to corner, subdue, and capture their adversaries so they may be sold into slavery, but they do not hesitate to resort to lethal methods if necessary.

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Skills: Coercion 3, Melee 3, Ranged (Heavy) 2. Vigilance 3. Talents: Body Guard 1 (once per round. perform the Body Guard maneuver to guard an engaged character; suffer 1 strain to upgrade the difficulty of all combat checks against the specified target once). Abilities: None. Equipment: Blaster carbine (Ranged !Heavy]; Damage 9 ; Critical 3; Range !Medium! ; Stun setting). shock whip (Melee; Damage 4; Critical 4; Range !Short!; Ensnare 3. Stun Damage). padded armor ( + 2 soak), comlink, utility belt.

FIGHTING PITS As the party tours the streets of Sclavos, an Average (♦ ♦) Streetwise or Perception check reveals signs, chatter, or commotion that leads them to an oblong, open-air fighting pit just to the south of the great palace. If the PCs push their way through the crowd to investigate, they uncover a brutal spectacle of bloody combat between a human and a Coynite in the fighting pit below. Bookies shout among the crowd, demanding that patrons place their bets.

If any PCs place a wager on the human, they receive three-to-one odds. Voices in the crowd can be heard explaining that one of the contestants is a fighter enslaved by the prince, and although he remains undefeated, he recently suffered several serious injuries and is not expected to survive the current battle. He faces off against the prizefighter of the Karazak Slavers' Cooperative. When the PCs manage to get a good view of the action, read the following aloud:

A Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Streetwise check allows the PCs to learn from members of the crowd that the prince's fighter. the human, is a Mandalorian warrior who the prince has enslaved for almost two years. Before the party has any opportunity to investigate further. Zygerrian royal guards enter the arena to escort the gladiator back into custody. The human fighter drags a limp leg behind him as he acquiesces and heads for the slave pits beneath the fighting arena.

NAM BEROYA [NEMESIS] Not all Mandalorians shared the pacifistic views expressed by Duchess Satine Kryze during her rise to power on Mandalore. Nam Beroya the Clan Awaud chieftain on Mandalore at that time. He saw no future in Satine·s great vision or of the Death Watch's barbaric reversion to galactic conquest as part of the Shadow Collective. Beroya favored the old ways, the path of the honorable nomadic mercenary. While Beroya·s clan fractured along factional lines. he followed his own vision and led more than three hundred like-minded Mandalorians to the snowy, evergreen forests of Vlemoth Port's northern latitudes to live by the old ways. Over time. Beroya·s clan swelled to over eight hundred combat-ready warriors, and with the assistance of his adopted daughter, Vera, Nam Beroya led his clan on countless missions. Two years ago, while Nam was on a hunting expedition with a local tribe of Talz, a band of Zygerrian slavers attacked. and Nam was captured

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defending his allies. Beroya's clan thought he had perished in the battle. dooming him to a life of enslavement without the possibility of rescue. Prince Molec threw Beroya into his gladiatorial arena to fight for his court's amusement. and the Mandalorian has run an undefeated streak for two years. Nam Beroya is a burly, middle-aged man of Concordian descent, with olive skin covered in scars from countless battles. He possesses a cunning tactical mind and projects an air of confidence and competence that commands respect and inspires those serving under him. When leading his clan. Beroya carefully weighs every decision with care for how it would affect his people, but once he arrives at a conclusion, he charges forward like an angry reek.

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14

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Skills: Brawl 3, Coercion 4, Knowledge

[Warfare) 3, Leadership 3, Melee 4, Ranged (Heavy) 3, Survival 3, Vigilance 3. Talents: Adversary 2 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against Nam Beroya twice). Durable 2 (subtract 20 from Critical Injury rolls made against Nam Beroya). Natural Leader (once per session. may reroll any one Cool or Leadership check). Abilities: None Equipment: None. Special Condition: Temporarily lame (until this Hard [♦♦♦I Critical Injury is healed, Nam cannot perform more than one maneuver during his turn).

PARTY CRASHERS he PCs must gain access to the prince, which requires an invitation to his banquet or less scrupulous means of getting inside the palace. Acquiring an invitation requires visiting Jorec and Mard at the Auction Registrars' Office, but the GM should feel free to let the PCs develop their own strategy if they desire.

T

ON THE GUEST LIST The PCs should head to the Auction Registrars· Office to apply for an invitation to the prince's banquet. The office is a smooth, spherical, adobe structure that sits at the base of the palace's western wall. A cluster of sensor dishes, antennae, and holonet arrays protrudes from the top of the structure. When the PCs enter the building, the interior is dimly lit, and the odor of overworked electrical systems is prominent. Beneath the hum of dozens of databanks and cooling fans. two distinct voices. one deep and hoarse, the other nasal and ringing, bicker from beyond the counter opposite the entrance.

When you approach the counter, a large, elderly Zygerrian ducks through the doorframe into the lobby, followed by a ranting Zygerrian half his size. The smaller of the two yells, 'That sniveling brat and his spice addiction will bankrupt us inside a week!" "Because it's my fault we have to give that worthless little schutta access to some of the accounts? He's heir to the crown: we don't have the authority to just cut him off. I-" The hulking Zygerrian is cut off by his partner. "What do you want?

The PCs have interrupted a heated discussion between the senior registrars, Jorec and Mard. The two are clearly vexed with each other, which repeatedly distracts them from performing the application process for the group. One PC must take charge of having the group's application approved, which requires three steps: identity verification, affiliation. and line of credit. Each step requires a Hard C♦♦♦J social skill check to accomplish: however. the duo's bickering is a constant interruption.

Each step of the process takes ten minutes, as one of the PCs must make an Average (♦ ♦) Charm, Deception, or Leadership check to break up any arguments with enough subtlety so as to not raise the ire of the men and still complete their screening on time. Failure causes Mard to undermine Jorec's datawork with foul comments such as "Not like that, you idiot. I've shown you this a thousand times. I don't know why our mother didn't eat you when you were born, you oaf." Two interruptions delay the process long enough that the brothers must postpone the PCs' screening process until tomorrow morning so they can close the office and attend the banquet. Any @ incurred during the PCs' dealings with the twins results in their taking offense and ejecting the group from the office, while @ could grant the PCs the honor of being Jorec and Mard's personal guests at the banquet, which provides Don all social skill checks the PCs make during the gathering.

DUTY (INTELLIGENCE): AIRED GRIEVANCES lliance Intelligence has little information on this area of space, so a PC with the Intelligence Duty should be vigilant for any valuable information to report up the chain of command. If the Intelligence Duty is triggered, the PC should take advantage of the grumblings of Jorec and Mard. and note information revealed about Prince Molec and his operation to present to Alliance Intelligence. The PC may uncover dirty secrets about Prince Molec's failures or his plot to assassinate the Zygerrian king, which earns the PC 5 Duty for this effort.

A

The PCs can circumvent the checks made to placate the brothers by separating them. Mard is responsible for organizing the shadowfeed that broadcasts the auction galaxy-wide, so a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Computers or Mechanics check can distract Mard as he prattles on about technical specifications and minutiae. At the GM's discretion. the PCs may also attempt to uncover details regarding their gripes with the prince with a Hard (♦♦♦) social skill check. tJ- tJ-tJ- or @ may even be used to convince the brothers to divulge sensitive information about the prince, or to betray or blackmail him at the right moment. Jorec and Mard could instead be convinced to destroy such evidence if the PCs wish to earn the prince's favor rather than coerce him into helping them, but such a request requires a further Daunting(♦ ♦ ♦ ♦) social skill check. The brothers could also give the PCs direct holonet access to negotiate with the king should their dealings with the prince fall apart (although this takes two hours to set up and conduct).

OTHER AVENUES There is more than one way to crash a party. While a legitimate invitation is the easiest way to get in, there are several other ways to attend the pre-auction gala. However, clear and sometimes significant drawbacks accompany these alternate methods of entry.

SNEAK INTO THE PARTY With the p roper equipment. such as a grappling hook and rope, PCs can make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Athletics check to scale the palace wall. The wall face is smooth, polished verdecrete, making it difficult to gain traction for climbing, which i mposes ■■ on the check. If the PCs reach the top, they must also make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦> Stealth check to sneak past the guards and make it to the courtyard below unseen. Finally, once in attendance at the banquet, the PCs must make an Average (♦ ♦) Deception check to convince their fellow partygoers they belong at the event.

SLICE THE GUEST LIST

GREASING PALMS

For some groups, the high-tech approach is the way to go. Once the PCs know the location of the Auction Registrars' Office, they may attempt to break in after hours to access the auction's registry on a data terminal and add their names to the guest list. Circumventing the security lock to the office requires a Hard (♦♦♦) Skulduggery check. Once inside, the PCs have easy access to the data terminals behind the counter.

Almost no one in the criminal underworld is above taking bribes, even Zygerrian royal guards. The PCs may attempt to bribe their way into the celebration using a Hard ♦ ♦) Streetwise check, provided they have the funds necessary (approximately 2,000 credits) to seal the deal. The group may also attempt to buy another partygoer's invitation. Unfortunately, this should be more difficult than bribing the guards, requiring a Daunting ♦ ♦ ♦) social skill check.

A Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Computers check is needed to navigate the Zygerrian databank and create false invitations. Failure means the slicer cannot locate the proper file. A @ with a successful check places the PCs on the VIP list, which provides direct access to the prince's table during the event. @ generates a data trail that GMs can have the guards discover later if any @ is generated during the banquet. @ sounds an alarm that brings a team of royal guards.

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If the PCs tried and failed to bribe the guards before they duped a party guest into relinquishing an invitation, the PCs must also make an Average (♦ ♦) Deception check to get past the guards and into the banquet. If at any time during attempted briberies. the PCs roll @ @ @ or@, the bribe ends in a double cross. The PCs are implicated in a plot to infiltrate the festivities for nefarious purposes, and they must deal with the fallout.

BREACH THE GATES The PCs might insist on using the direct approach to accessing the prince by attacking the gate guards. During the event. three checkpoints with two royal guards and a minion group of six slavers each stand between the palace gates and the banquet. The group can assault one of the palace entrances and attempt to fight its way into the palace. If the PCs generate @ during a fight with the palace guards. one of the Zygerrians sounds the general alarm summoning all the guards from the remaining checkpoints. The guards arrive within three rounds to reinforce the besieged checkpoint. Royal guards fight to subdue the PCs and bring them before the prince in chains. However. if the PCs kill any guards. their adversaries switch to lethal tactics. If the PCs use lethal force on the guards and manage to reach the prince. his majesty refuses dealings of any kind and summons twenty royal guards to eliminate the PCs.

RUNNIN6 ON FUMES

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t this point, the PCs may have been working to accomplish their mission for more than twenty-four hours straight. The GM may ask for an Average (◊ ◊) Resilience check to reflect their prolonged lack of sleep (see page 128 of the AcE oF REBELLION Core Rulebook). The GM may, optionally, allow some PCs to substitute Willpowe~ for Brawn when making this check.

ROYAL MEETING When the PCs make it inside the palace to attend the celebration. the festivities are already in full swing. If the group got into the feast without causing a scene. read or paraphrase the following aloud as they enter the courtyard:

FOOL THE GUARDS The PCs might prefer to bluff their way into the prince's party. They can attempt an opposed Deception check to fool the royal guards into letting them pass and give them access to the celebration. The most acceptable claims should be that the PCs are missing from the guest list in error or that they are colleagues of the prince attempting to gain access to the celebration. More ludicrous claims can upgrade the difficulty of the check, at the GM's discretion. The PCs might ambush one of the frequent guard patrols in the city streets near the palace and steal their armor. Donning royal guard armor adds DD to any Deception checks made to bluff their way into the festivities. However. any @ @ @ or @ incurred during the procurement of the disguises could mean their cover has been blown.

Nearly one hundred drunken partygoers of various species fill the lavish, open-air courtyard. Gathered around long, rectangular stone tables, the wealthy bidders clink their glasses and toke in the Twi'lek and Togruto dancers who gracefully move around o forge fountain, pirouetting from stone to stone between jets of water. A dozen young stoves wend their way about the courtyard, serving alcohol and spice to the guests. On the other side of the guests is a raised stone dais, occupied by a group of Zygerrians draped in regal flowing plum and gold robes. At the center of the group sits an attractive Zygerrian surrounded by over a dozen courtesans, bored despite the lavish setting and entertainment.

THE 2YGERRIAN PARADOX

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THEZVGERRIAN PARADOX

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The PCs should be encouraged to circulate through the party and mingle with guests. An Average C♦ ♦J social skill check made on the socialites reveals useful gossip about the prince. such as accounts of his growing paranoia about assassins and traitors, his estranged relationship with the king, or the loss of his prized sword to a man named Baron Sevelle. Net ~ coupled with @ could convince a drunken partygoer that the PCs are a group the prince absolutely must meet directly. If this happens. the PCs must succeed on a Daunting C♦ ♦ ♦ ♦J social skill check to convince Captain Armin of the prince's royal guard to allow introductions. thus skipping ahead to A Royal Welcome. on page 71 . Without the explicit approval of other partygoers, the PCs must introduce themselves to the prince. When the PCs approach the prince's dinner table. a gaunt, middle-aged Zygerrian with slicked-back saltand-pepper hair and wearing neatly pressed business attire steps out of nowhere to intercept them. He stands at attention with his hands clasped behind his back and quizzically raises an eyebrow at the PCs before introducing himself as. "Rajim Armin, Captain of the Prince's Guard and His Majesty's Personal Advisor.· Before the PCs can get a word in edgewise, Armin looks down his nose at the group and launches into a series of questions. Captain Armin completely ignores any questions. requests. or comments the PCs make until they answer his questions to his satisfaction. His questions might include: • Who are you? No matter what the PCs offer. Armin appears unfazed. unimpressed. and possibly bored. • Whom do you represent? As the PCs answer. Armin eyes the group, likely attempting to discern whether the PCs are conspirators trying to harm the prince. He quickly checks the guest list on his datapad to determine whether the PCs belong at the banquet. • What is your business with His Majesty? This is the only question Armin asks to which he seems genuinely interested in hearing the PCs' response. Allow the PCs plenty of time to state their case as they see fit, as long as they remain calm and continue to deal with Captain Armin and not the prince directly. Have the players make an Average C♦ ♦J social skill check to convince Armin to entertain whatever offer they make. However, if the PCs try to bluff their way through this conversation. a Hard Deception check is necessary to prevent Armin from seeing through their story. Failure incurs ■ on any future social interactions with the captain.

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Unless the PCs launch into all-out combat. Captain Armin stands unflinching. Although the prince is within earshot throughout the interaction, the royal

takes no interest in the PCs. If anyone tries to bypass Armin and approach the prince. a dozen royal guards form up between Armin and Prince Molec, and the captain simply raises his hand, gesturing for them to go no further. After the captain hears the PCs out. he briefly ponders their words before turning and looking to the prince for input. However. the prince completely dismisses Armin and the PCs with a wave of his hand without even looking away from the dancers' routine. Before the guards attempt to escort the PCs away, read the following aloud:

Armin rolls his eyes and sighs. "His Majesty is uninterested. Truthfully, he has little incentive to cross the Empire. Its Navy gives us a wide berth already, and we see no reason to jeopardize that arrangement. " He then blinks and confesses, "Having said that. .. "Armin leans closer and lowers his voice. "Today, one of His Majesty's prized possessions, the Prince's Sword, was stolen and taken to a watch house within the slave sector just outside the city. I was just informed the thieves intend to move it to the Thalassian outpost Caden by morning. Retrieve His Majesty's property and present it to him. In his gratitude, the Prince may consider your offer. " The GM may spend @ @ @ or @ resulting from the interactions with Armin to have the PCs forcibly escorted out of the party by a squad of the prince·s royal guards. Otherwise, the PCs may question Armin or party guests for information about the theft and about Baron Sevelle, the alleged thief. A Hard C♦♦♦J social skill check can uncover some of the following information about the baron: • Sevelle is a trade baron who represents the Karazak Slavers· Cooperative. • Sevelle used to be a personal friend of the prince. • The prince and Sevelle used to bet on gladiator matches held in the Zygerrian auction arena in the palace. • The Karazak Slavers' Cooperative is renting a temporary holding pen used to store recently purchased slaves: it is located just outside the city walls. When the PCs are finished speaking with Armin and the party guests. or if any @ incurred during their investigation results in their expulsion. the guards usher the PCs outside the palace walls. The guards reiterate Armin's instructions to the PCs not to return without the prince's property.

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CAPTAIN RAJIM ARMIN [RIVAL]

PRINCE SONO MOLEC [NEMESIS]

A longtime servant of the Molec .royal house, Captain Rajim Armin advised Prime Minister Atai Molec during the Clone Wars. when Molec served under Queen Scintel. When the Zygerrian Slavers Guild allied with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Captain Armin served on Prime Minister Molec's war council. Rajim's uncanny ability to read others and his skill as a duelist also made him the ideal bodyguard for the prime minister, whom he continued to serve when the prime minister became King Atai Molec.

Sono Molec inherited control of Kowak from his father, King Atai Molec. The Prince oversees slaving operations in the southern Slice. supplying the bulk of Twi'lek, Rodian. Theelin, and Togruta slaves to both the Hutt Empire and the larger auction house on Zygerria. Sono also runs a poaching operation, supplying Kowakian monkey-lizards to buyers all over the galaxy. Since assuming control of Kowak, Prince Molec has divided slave supply worlds in the Trailing Sectors with both the Thalassian slavers and the Karazak Slavers· Cooperative.

Captain Armin served as King Molec's eyes and ears during the king's sons' fateful tour of Zygerrian holdings. When the elder heir was killed in a skirmish with Imperials, Armin shared the blame and was relieved of his duties to the throne. Armin was relegated to serve as the younger prince's second-in-command on Kowak, far away from the capital.

Despite his ·accomplishments." Prince Molec has never earned the respect of his father. Two years ago, Sono was touring Zygerrian holdings in the southern Slice with his older brother Hordem and recklessly got drawn into a naval engagement with Captain Nervi. The battle ended with the defeat of the Molec forces and the death of Sono·s brother. The death of the king's first heir drove a wedge between Sono and his father that ended in his pseudo-exile to Kowak.

captain Armin is a tall, angular Zygerrian noble of great stature and impeccable breeding. He never strays too far from the prince, standing at attention in perfect military dress. Armin is incredibly smart, terribly insightful, and painfully bored with his station at the prince's side. Despite the monotony of his role and the shame of his demotion. Captain Armin takes great pride in his work, and always does what is best for the throne.

~~m~~m (.,,..m,-J ctmr~·•) ~ Skills: Cool 3. Discipline 2. Leadership 2. Melee 4, Negotiation 2, Perception 3, Ranged (Light) 2, Vigilance 2. Talents: Adversary 1 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against Captain Armin once). Confidence 1 (decrease difficulty of Discipline checks to avoid the effects of fear by one). Nobody's Fool 1 (upgrade difficulty of Charm. Coercion, and Deception checks against Captain Armin once). Abilities: None. Equipment: Blaster pistol (Ranged !Light!: Damage 6; Critical 3: Range !Medium!: Stun setting). vibrosword (Melee; Damage 5: Critical 2; Range !Engaged!; Defensive 1. Pierce 2, Vicious 1). armored clothing (+ 1 defense. + 1 soak). comlink. datapad, utility belt.

THE 2YGERRIAN PARADOX

FRJEM>S LICE THESE

Prince Molec maintains a sabacc face as unreadable as ferrocrete, making him hard to read during negotiations. He leads a decadent lifestyle both personally and professionally, and he has many vices, including alcohol. gambling, and spice. Prince Molec also takes a morbid pleasure in the misery of others. However, beneath his egotistical facade, the prince is paranoid. Sono is convinced that servants within his court actively plot to depose him, which slowly chips away at his self-assured exterior.

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Skills: Coercion 2. Cool 2, Deception 3, Discipline 2. Knowledge (Outer Rim) 2. Knowledge (Underworld) 3, Leadership 3, Melee 3. Negotiation 3, Perception 3, Piloting (Planetary) 2, Ranged (Light) 3, Skulduggery 2, Streetwise 3, Vigilance 3. Talents: Adversary 2 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against Prince Molec twice). Commanding Presence 1 (remove ■ from all Cool and Leadership checks). Improved Scathing Tirade (as an action, may make an Average l♦♦J Coercion check; each 'ff inflicts 1 strain on a target within short range: spend tJ- to inflict 1 additional strain on one affected target: all affected targets suffer ■ to all checks for two rounds). Nobody's Fool 2 (upgrade difficulty of all Charm, Coercion, and Deception checks targeting Prince Molec twice) Abilities: None. Equipment: Holdout blaster (Ranged !Light!; Damage 5: Critical 4; Range [Short!: Stun setting). shock whip (Melee; Damage 4; Critical 4; Range [Engaged!; Ensnare 3. Stun Damage). exquisite garb.

REPO BUSINESS he players must recover the Prince's Sword if they T wish to continue their mission. If the PCs want to buy supplies before searching, a handful of shops remain open. though shopping can take one hour to complete, at the GM's discretion. The slave sector lies outside the city along the southern path that leads off the plateau and into the jungle. Participating in the following night raid takes two hours. though more cautious players might exhaust more time.

UNDER COVER OF NIGHT The Zygerrians have split the slave sector into three separate compounds. rented to various slaver groups. The prince's stolen sword resides within the watch house in Beta Encampment. the area rented by Baron Dorn Sevelle of the Karazak Slavers· Cooperative. As the PCs arrive. a representative of the Thalassian slavers from Gamma Encampment have arrived to purchase the sword from Sevelle.

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ALPHA ENCAMPMENT

BETA ENCAMPMENT

Alpha Encampment is the closest to the city wall, with a clear view of the city gates and the road from both directions. An open field is on the encampment's north side. and the camp is near Beta Encampment. A ruthless gang of Trandoshan slavers occupies Alpha Encampment and stands watch over an assortment of nearly fifty Wookiee and Togruta slaves.

Baron Dorn Sevelle and Karazak Slavers' Cooperative (KSC) agents occupy Beta Encampment, the second slave pen outside the city Beta Encampment sits at a higher elevation than the other two sites. making it easily defended from outside threats. Beta Encampment is at extreme range from the city gates.

These Trandoshans prefer to shoot first and don't concern themselves with questions. Eight Trandoshan slavers stand watch on the inside perimeter of their encampment. actively searching for intruders. These Trandoshans open fire on any target they spot. A Daunting(♦♦♦♦) Stealth check with ■■ due to their natural infrared vision is necessary to come within short range of their encampment undetected. Additionally, any @ @ @ or @ that result from Stealth or combat checks in Beta Encampment alert them of the PCs' presence. and four Trandoshan slavers rush to join the fight after three rounds of combat there.

TRANDOSHAN SLAVER [RIVAL] Resolute and ferocious. Trandoshan slavers are among the vilest groups in the entire underworld. While they specialize in the slavery of Wookiees. they rarely refuse the opportunity to put their combat prowess to the test. No matter whether the prey is a creature or a sentient being, a Trandoshan lives for the thrill of the hunt.

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Skills: Coercion 2. Perception 3. Ranged (Heavy) 3.

Ranged (Light) 2, Survival 3. Talents: Expert Tracker (remove ■ from checks to

find tracks or track targets: decrease time to track a target by haln. Strong Arm (treat thrown weapons as if they had one step greater range, to a maximum of medium range). Abilities: Regeneration (when recovering from wounds via natural rest or in a bacta tank, recover from 1 additional wound; first aid. medical treatment, and stimpacks do not result in recovery from an additional wound: Trandoshans can regrow lost limbs, though it usually takes at least a month before such limbs are usable). Equipment: Accelerated charged particle array gun (Ranged [Heavy]: Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Short]; Blast 5. Stun Damage). claws [Brawl: Damage 4: Critical 3: Range [Engaged]: Disorient. Knockdown). 2 stun grenades (Ranged [Light]: Damage 8: Critical - : Range [Medium]: Blast 8. Disorient 3, Limited Ammo 1. Stun Damage). padded armor (+ 2 soak). comlink.

THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX FRIENDS UK£ 1HESE

The KSC guards a hundred recently purchased Twi'lek slaves with a force consisting of an acquisition specialist and four minion groups of three acquisition agents. The acquisition specialist sits inside the watch house. and one minion group of agents each are stationed at the watch house door. the watch house roof. and the main encampment gate. The fourth minion group patrols the perimeter fence. If the PCs openly approach the camp, the KSC operatives attempt to take them into custody. However, if the PCs succeed on a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) social skill check, the guards escort them to the front of the watch house. Baron Sevelle walks out of the house to meet them. Read the following aloud: "I wasn't scheduled to meet with anyone else this evening," whines a bearded young man swathed in posh green-and-white robes. He dabs beads of sweat from the muggy night air off his forehead as he continues, "If you're here to make an offer on the sword. you're too late. It's already been sold, and now we're just waiting for delivery."

BARON DORN SEVELLE [RIVAL] A human trade baron from Raithal, Dorn Sevelle is a representative of the KSC, and he was until recently a close friend of Prince Molec. The two often sat together during slave gladiatorial matches, wagering on the outcomes. The latest such bet resulted in Sevelle's walking away with the prince's top prizefighter. Realizing the warrior is more trouble than he is worth. Baron Sevelle sold the gladiator to the Thalassians. Now he awaits their arrival to pick up their prize.

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Skills: Deception 3. Negotiation 2. Ranged (Light) 1. Streetwise 2. Talents: Plausible Deniability (remove ■ from all Coercion and Deception checks). Abilities: None. Equipment: Holdout blaster (Ranged [Light]: Damage 5: Critical 4: Range [Short]: Stun setting), heavy clothing [ + 1 soak). comlink. credit voucher. datapad.

KARAZAK ACQUISITION SPECIALIST [RIVAL]

KARAZAK ACQUISITION AGENT [MINION]

Careful planning goes into every potential Karazak Siavers' Cooperative operation. Acquisition specialists scout planets and hyperspace routes all over the Outer Rim. looking for new markets and "product species."

Acquisitions agents conduct all "product acquisition" (enslaving) operations for the KSC with military efficiency. Acquisitions agents commonly frequent major hyperlanes in the Outer Rim, but each successful oper-

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Skills: Knowledge (Education) 3, Knowledge (Xenol-

ogy) 3, Perception 3, Piloting (Space) 2, Ranged (Light) 2, Streetwise 3. Talent s: Indistinguishable (upgrade difficulty of checks to identify this character once). Abilities: Code of Silence (upgrade difficulty of any checks made to obtain any information from this target about the Karazak Slavers· Cooperative once). Equipment: Holdout blaster (Ranged !Light]; Damage 5; Critical 4: Range !Short); Stun setting). adverse environment gear ( + 1 soak). datapad, electrobinoculars, field ration packs, hole-messenger, utility belt.

Skills (group only): Cool, Knowledge (Xenology),

Melee, Ranged (Heavy). Talents: None. Abilities: Code of Silence (upgrade difficulty of any

checks made to obtain any information from this target about the Karazak Slavers' Cooperative once). Equipment: Blaster rifle (Ranged !Heavy]: Damage 9; Critical 3; Range !Long]; Stun setting), force pike (Melee: Damage 5; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]: Pierce 2, Stun setting), heavy clothing (+ 1 soak). bail bond chit.

THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX

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NEGOTIATION

The PCs must complete a Daunting (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦) Negotiation check to convince the baron to doublecross the Thalassians and sell the prince's property to them instead. Of course, to complete the sale. the PCs need hard currency (the Thalassians are offering 20,000 credits) to pay the baron. If the PCs have spent more than six hours on Kowak, the baron has already completed the sale. and the PCs need to deal with the Thalassians instead at Gamma Encampment. STEALTH

The PCs may try sneaking into the encampment to reclaim the sword, which is still there provided they have spent less than six hours on Kowak. A Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Mechanics check is necessary to get t hrough a section of the power fence and into the camp, or an Average (♦ ♦) Athletics check could allow the PCs to scale the fence. provided they have some way of disabling the electricity flowing through it. Any @ generated by these checks could result in incurring strain due to an electric shock or a misstep in scaling the fence. while @ could draw a lone guard to investigate, adding ■ to any Stealth checks made to sneak inside. Both methods also require a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Stealth check to infiltrate the camp without attracting attention. Failure alerts the nearest group of agents, and @ @ sets off an alarm that alerts the compound. @ @ @ or @ alerts nearby camps to their neighbor's troubles, such that t hey increase their own securi ty readiness. which adds ■ to any attempts to sneak into their camps ATTACK

The camp is designed to keep people in, not out, making a direct assault on the encampment a sound method of recovering the Prince's Sword. If the PCs utilize this option before spending six hours on Kowak, the entire force of Beta Encampment rushes into battle against them, accompanied by three minion groups of four slave laborers each. After the PCs have spent more than six hours on Kowak. the sale has been completed. and the Thalassians have moved the sword to Gamma Encampment.

THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX FRIENDS UK£ ntE.SE

GAMMA ENCAMPMENT Gamma Encampment is the farthest from the city gate, on a lower landing to the southeast. It is surrounded by dense jungle on the north. west, and south sides. which provides D on all Stealth checks made to approach the camp unnoticed. However. a nest of monkey-lizards inhabits the trees to the east of the camp. They chatter and whoop loudly if the PCs come within short range, which imposes ■ on all Stealth checks. Gamma Encampment is at short range from Beta Encampment. The Thalassian security is tight, with a pair of Thalassian slavers doing perimeter patrols at random intervals, one pair o f slavers patrolling the yard, and one pair guarding the watch house door. The camp houses more than one hundred Togruta slaves. most of whom are sleeping inside their huts. If the PCs arrive at the camp after spending more than six hours on Kowak. the Prince's Sword is located within the Gamma Encampment watch house.

THALASSIAN SLAVER (RIVAL] Members of a society of slavers thousands of years old, Thalassians are some o f the most resourceful slave traders in the galaxy. Even though their shell-covered bodies would normally inhibit their mobility, the cunning reptiles rely on various technologies. such as repulsors and jetpacks, to travel quickly. Thalassians are rarely without their armor or array of gadgets. Seeing most other species as nothing more than animals, they utilize electronets, repulsor traps, stun grenades, and all manner of non-lethal weapons to round up and ensnare their targets. These slavers operate out of the New Territories. using ion cannon-equipped Z-95 Headhunters to prey on unsuspecting hyperspace travelers, but they are also common elsewhere in the galaxy.

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Skills: Mechanics 2, Piloting (Planetary) 3. Ranged (Heavy) 2, Ranged (Light) 1. Vigilance 2. Talents: Contraption (once per session. as an action, may make a Hard I♦ ♦ ♦I Mechanics check to fashion a device to solve a current problem using just the tools and parts on hand). Abilities: Hoverer (Thalassian repulsor packs allow Thalassians to hover slightly off the ground; when hovering, Thalassians do not have to spend additional maneuvers when navigating difficult terrain; otherwise, their repulsor packs allow Thalassians no extra capabilities). Ponderous (without their repulsor packs, Thalassians cannot spend more than one maneuver moving per turn).

RECLAIMING THE SWORD If the PCs defeat or strike a deal with whomever has the Prince's Sword, they can retrieve it from the appropriate watch house. When they enter the building. read or paraphrase the following aloud:

As you push through a heavy tarp strung up across the doorway, a bloodied humanoid mound of bruises spits at you. He stumbles back, prevented from falling over by a half-dozen Twi'lek women. Regaining his footing, the brawny figure wipes a stream of blood from his brow and squares off with you as he barks, "More blasted shabuir come to beat on the Prince's Sword before he gets carted offworld? Well, what are you waiting for, hut'uun? I haven't got all day!

MORAL DILEMMAS After the PCs discover the sword is a person rather than an object, they must decide how to proceed. If the PCs want to take him into custody, he is considered helpless while chained. and he can easily be knocked unconscious. The sword is, of course, Nam Beroya, which should come as a shock to the PCs. If the PCs instead engage him in conversation, following are his answers to some of the questions they may ask him: •

How did you become a slave? "Butted heads with the Zygerrians one too many times over the years. Those shabuir got me with a cheap shot, strung me up, and that blasted dragonsnake Molec had me nursed back to health."

•

Why do they call you the Prince's Sword? "The prince tossed me into the slave tunnels beneath the city to fight for his amusement. I don't know how long I've been fighting."

•

What are/were you doing in Sevelle's camp? "Some bet between Molec and one of those sarad landuurs. I was too busted up to take on six Barabels after fighting a Coynite gladiator."

•

Why is Sevelle selling/Why did Sevelle sell you to the Thalassians? "From the way the guards have been talkin', the prince is telling everyone Sevelle stole me, so Sevelle is getting rid of the hot po/lie."

•

Why has he been torturing you? "He's a chof<.oor slaver- why not? Everyone wants to take a swing at the sword. Looks worse than it is: I've had Keldabe kisses that hurt more."

Nam has sustained significant trauma to his left leg and right shoulder, and is in no condition to move on his own. A Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Medicine check sufficiently mends Beroya to make him ambulatory. Regardless, it takes a Formidable (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦l social skill check to get Beroya to agree to go back to the prince willingly.

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DUTY [PERSONNEL): EXPERIENCE IS THE PARENT OF WISDOM

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embers of the Rebel Alliance fight for what is right, even when it is t he hardest option. If the Personnel Duty was generated during this session, the PC with this Duty feels compelled to free Nam Beroya from the clutches of Prince Molec, regardless of the mission objectives.

To free Nam instead of taking him to the prince, the PCs must deactivate Beroya's explosive implant and smuggle him offworld without the prince and his agents discovering it. Unfortunately, to gain an audience with Molec without relinquishing Beroya requires a Formidable (◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊) social skill check against Captain Armin when he meets with the PCs to retrieve the sword. If the PCs still secure Molec's help without handing over Beroya, it also increases the difficulty on all social skill checks with Molec in Episode IV by one. However, the PCs gain several advantages for having Nam Beroya on their side. An additional squad of eight Mandalorian mercenaries reinforces Vera Beroya's detachment when the PCs arrive back at Foundry Four. With her father back in Clan Awaud, Vera Beroya benefits from ■ on all Leadership checks. Additionally, the PCs gain a powerful ally, as Beroya is grateful to the PCs for rescuing him.

THE PRICE OF MORALITY If the PCs suggest rescuing Beroya, the Mandalorian informs the PCs that he was fitted with an explosive implant (see Slaver Tech, on page 60). To remove the device without risk, the PCs must obtain the hand held transmitter paired to the implant from the prince. If the PCs inform Beroya of their mission, he suggests that if they free the slaves held in the camps outside the city, some may join their cause. He also mentions tha t if the PCs call in his clan, they could launch an assault on the palace to free the slaves held within the auction grounds. If the PCs agree to call in Clan Awaud, it arrives within five hours. Though this strategy may be a moral one, GMs should remind players that they risk not only their own lives. but also the lives of slaves, Clan Awaud members. and residents of Foundry Four, since fortification efforts may grind to a halt without the Mandalorians' help. Make sure the players understand that the prince can bring a sizable force of enslaved soldiers and his royal guard to defend Foundry Four if negotiations are allowed to proceed. If the PCs free the slaves, only a fraction volunteer unless the PCs force them to fight. making them no better than slavers.

While the PCs wait for the Mandalorian reinforcements to arrive, they can attempt to free the slaves from the slave sector outside the palace using augmented tactics such as those detailed in Under Cover of Night, on page 63. Alternatively, they could attempt to infiltrate the palace using methods similar to those found in Other Avenues, on page 58, to confront the prince at his banquet and attempt to obtain the transmitter for Nam Beroya's implant. When Nam and the PCs head back to the city to escape on the PCs' ship or to free the slaves at the auction. Captain Armin awaits them at the main gates with eight royal guards. ready to take them into custody and escort the PCs to the prince. While bluffing their way to an audience with the prince may be the most direct route, deceiving Armin should be no small task. GMs are encouraged to spend Destiny Points to give the captain a greater edge during the crucial point in the PCs' plan. The arrival of thirty-five warriors from Clan Awaud sparks a small three-phase battle, which can be resolved using the Mass Combat rules on pages IO and 11. Each of these phases takes fifteen minutes to unfold. as the PCs chase the prince through the arena to catch him before he reaches the remote system controlling the slave implants. The GM is encouraged to spend Destiny Points to make this encounter an uphill fight. Success for the PCs on any Mass Combat check moves them to the next phase of the battle. while failure means that they are bogged down in the current location and must fight the phase again, taking a another fifteen minutes. In addition, failure on a Mass Combat check also represents a number of Mandalorians falling in combat. One Mandalorian warrior falls for each net Y on the Mass Combat check. A PC who wishes to act as field medic in the mass combat can make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Medicine check to reduce these casualties by one. Eventually, these losses take their toll on the attacking force. For every ten Mandalorian warriors who fall in battle, the ability of the Mass Combat check is decreased once. If the Mandalorians are all killed, the mass combat is over. and the PCs must work quickly or be captured and enslaved by the Zygerrians. The results of each Mass Combat check should be spent according to Table 0-3: Spending t), @, @ , and @ in Mass Combat, on page 11. SLAVE LIBERATION PHASE 1

A platoon-strength force of Mandalorian commandos arrives in dropships to storm the palace, taking the palace gate guards completely by surprise. This provides D to the Mass Combat check for this phase. The ability dice for the check are ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊, and with Vera Beroya leading the commandos, the ability dice are upgraded twice. A few dozen royal guards are stationed at the gates and on the palace walls, setting the difficulty at ♦. but a competent sergeant leads the patrol, which upgrades the difficulty twice.

There are a number of ways the PCs can get involved in Phase 1 of the mass combat. Of course, one of the PCs could take the leadership role. upgrading the original ability dice of the pool by that PCs ranks in the Leadership skill instead of twice for Beroya·s two. PCs who get involved in the fighting find themselves in a combat against one Zygerrian royal guard (see page 55) fqr every PC involved. Given how few royal guards there are guarding the gates, if the PCs are victorious in this combat, add D to the Mass Combat check this phase. A PC may also wish to jam the guards' com ms or otherwise hinder their ability to sound the alarm. Doing so requires a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Computers or Mechanics check. If the PC succeeds, no reinforcements arrive in the case of a failed Mass Combat check, and the difficulty of repeated Mass Combat checks in this phase are not increased. The base dice pool for this phase's Mass Combat check is: 00 ◊◊ □ • +· • If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: Alarms alert dozens of palace guards and Zygerrian slavers that the palace is under siege, and they rush to reinforce the gate guards. The Mandalorians remain outside the palace and fight Phase 1 again. To represent the new reinforcements to the Zygerrians. increase the difficulty of the next Mass Combat check by one. •

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check:

Using their jetpacks. the commandos overwhelm the gate and raze the battlements from above. They move on to Phase 2. SLAVE LIBERATION PHASE 2

The slave auction is in full swing, and hundreds of slavers and their representatives line the bleachers. With the prince in attendance. security is on high alert. The Ability and Proficiency dice remain the same as in the previous phase (unless modified by negative results in that phase). However the royal guards and slavers at the royal slave auction now outnumber the PCs and their allies nearly three to one. and Prince Molec calls the shots there, making the di fficu lty ••• ♦. The presence of dozens of innocent slaves and servants among the crowd also imposes ■ on the Mass Combat check. During this phase, the PCs can try to rouse the slaves to action against their cruel master. This requires a Daunting (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦) social skill check. If the PC succeeds. the slaves in the auction rise up and join in the fight against the Zygerrians. As the Zygerrians are already overpowering the slaves, any attempt by the PCs to use Coercion for this social skill check will automatically fail. The slaves count as an additional element adding to the force strength of the PCs side of the fight. This upgrades the ability of the Mass Combat check once. If the PCs wish to participate directly in the fighting, they encounter one Zygerrian royal guard and a minion group of four Zygerrian slavers per fighting PC. If they overcome these foes, they decrease the difficulty of this phase's Mass Combat check once.

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The base dice pool for this phase's Mass Combat check isOO OO ••• + ■. •

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The Zygerrians manage to hold their ground in the palace hallways and bring the Mandalorian advance to a halt. Zygerrian reinforcements arrive and flank the Mandalorians at the entrance. cutting them off from ~sca_pe. Unless the PCs come up with a particularly inspired plan (such as having struck a deal with Jorec and Mard to bypass any call for reinforcements), they must repeat this phase until they succeed or their allies are killed. at which point. they, Vera Beroya, and Kad Solus are taken prisoner. If the PCs fail at the Phase 3 Mass Combat check three times, the prince reaches the transmitter for the slave implants and activates them at a lethal setting, killing hundreds of slaves-including Nam Beroya-and effectively subduing the rest.

•

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check: The Mandalorians overpower the Zyger-

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: Guards

from all over the city rush into the auction stadium to protect the prince and quell the uprising. The Zygerrian forces stall the Mandalorians. pinning them down in the bleachers and on the auction grounds, leaving them caught in the open. Unless they give up the fight and retreat, the Mandalorians are pinned down in the arena and must fight Phase 2 again. If the PCs fail at the Phase 2 Mass Combat check twice without retreating, the prince and his bodyguards make their way to the palace interior. If they fail four times. the prince reaches the transmitter for the slave implants and activates them at a lethal setting, killing hundreds of slaves-including Nam Beroya-and effectively subduing the rest. •

•

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check: The Mandalorian forces surge into the

auction grounds and get the jump on a significant number of Zygerrian guards before they can respond to the threat. While the fight takes place, the prince and his bodyguards retreat to the palace interior and Phase 3 . SLAVE LIBERATION PHASE 3

The prince retreats to his chambers through a narrow corridor that effectively bottlenecks the PCs and their allies. slowing their advance. He directs his royal guards from the relative safety of his fortified secret chambers within the heart of the palace. The Ability and Proficiency dice remain the same as they were in the previous phase (unless modified by negative results in that phase). As the palace interior is defended only by Zygernan royal guards without the aid of the slavers in the arena. the difficulty drops The confined corridors and the cover arranged by the royal guards add ■■ to the Mass Combat check.

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As a result of the close-quarters fighting, the PCs are engaged directly in combat by two Zygerrian royal guards per PC. If the PCs overcome these enemies. decrease the difficulty of the Mass Combat check by one. In addition, the PCs can use grenades, flame projectors, or other area weapons to force the royal guards out of cover. Doing so requires an Average C♦♦l Com~at skill check appropriate to the weapon used, and 1f successful removes ■ provided by the cover from the Mass Combat check. @ on this check removes the remaining ■ provided by the cover. Alternatively. the PCs can attempt to destroy the cover entirely, using explosives or particularly heavy weaponry. This requires a Hard C♦ ♦ ♦l Mechanics or Gunnery skill check. Success on this check removes both ■■ provided by the cover to the Mass Combat check. The base dice pool for this phase's Mass Combat check isOO OO ••• ■■.

rian defense and breach the prince's inner stronghold. The commandos subdue the prince and take him into custody before he can send an execution command on his transmitter. The Mandalorians neutralize any further threats in short order. Prince Molec is captured, and it is up to the PCs to decide what to do next.

AGAINST ALL ODDS If the PCs overpower the prince and his royal guards, Nam Beroya offers lend his weight to the PC's cause. He then leaves to reunite with his daughter and make good on his word. If the PCs failed to secure the aid of Clan Awaud before now, Nam Beroya convinces them to assist in defending Xorrn. If the PCs already obtained Vera Beroya's help, eight additional veteran Mandalorian commandos reinforce Clan Awaud.

a means of transporting them back to Xorrn. Captain Renlow could help, but waiting for him exhausts four hours. Alternatively, if the slave revolt liberated any Aurore-class freighters (see Zygerrian Air Support on page 88). the PCs could make good use of such a starship.

GASCH N'DOSS [RIVAL] Gasch N'doss is a gaunt Rutian Twi'lek with faded, ashenblue skin. He has been a slave since he was a teenage boy, so he can barely remember what it means to be free. N'doss has been abused both verbally and physically his entire adult life, desensitizing him to threats. He has fielded lie after lie from his Zygerrian enslavers, making him cynical and skeptical. The aged Twi'lek is, however, a plain and practical character who is unapologetic about getting what is best for his fellow slaves.

The PCs then have the opportunity to meet with the appointed leader of the slaves to forge an alliance to defend Xorrn. The slaves· representative is an older Rutian Twi'lek male named Gasch N'doss. NEGOTIATING WITH GASCH N'D055

Gasch N'doss has been a slave of the Zygerrians most of his life. and he has hardened toward abuse and trickery. Therefore, any Coercion checks made to intimidate N'doss into helping suffer ■■. and Deception checks made promising things the PCs cannot guarantee suffer ■. However, the man only wants what is best for his people: any Negotiation checks offering asylum for the liberated slaves gain D D PCs must make two opposed social skill checks to convince Gasch to aid in Xorrn's defense. The first determines how many former slaves accompany the PCs back to Xorrn, while the second decides what the PCs must provide to the slaves to convince them to help. The PCs can secure as many as one-hundred slaves. but they must procure

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Skills: Cool 1. Perception 2, Resilience 3, Survival 1. Talents: None. Abilities: Desert Dwellers (when making skill checks,

Twi'leks may remove ■ imposed due to arid and hot environmental conditions). Equipment: None.

A ROYAL WELCOME f the PCs choose not to lead a slave revolt against

Molec, capturing Nam Beroya alive and bringIinghouse him to the palace is the only surefire way to gain an

audience with the prince. Once the PCs return to the city with Nam Beroya, read or paraphrase the following aloud as they reach the gates: Captain Armin meets you at the main city gates with a contingent of eight royal guards. Armin's guards take Nam Beroya into custody, and he nods, impressed. "So you were successful. His Majesty will be pleased. The Prince was furious when he lost the sword, but he couldn't get directly involved, or the truce between slavers would have certainly come to an end. "

PRIVATE MEETING If the PCs accept Armin's offer and board the skiff, he leads them directly to the landing bay inside the palace walls. Upon landing, Beroya is spirited away to the dungeons while Armin escorts the PCs to Prince Molec in his personal chambers. The expansive rectangular room has vaulted ceilings. a central pool and fountain, and several three-meter-tall archways leading to balconies overlooking the jungle north of Sclavos Plateau.

The guards load Nam onto a sleek maroon skiff. and Armin climbs on board. "You have earned your audience with Prince Molec. He's waiting for you; come with me."

THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX

FRJENDS LlltE TIE.II:

NEGOTIATING WITH PRINCE MOLEC When the PCs gain an audience with the prince. read or paraphrase the following aloud: Following behind Armin, you come to a stop as he gestures toward the prince. Armin clears his throat, "May I present His Royal Majesty, Prince Sano Malec: Champion of Listehol, Conqueror of the Slavers' Chain, Uniter of the Guilds, and the one true heir to the glorious Zygerrian Empire. " Prince Malec nods and waves Armin away with a dismissive gesture. "So what brings you to my world? Tell me why I shouldn't tum you over to the Thalassians and improve their opinion of me while washing my hands of this mess."

Prince Sono Molec has ruled Kowak for over a decade, and he has prospered despite the murderers. sycophants. traitors. and thieves surrounding him. Molec is egotistical and appreciates gracious compliments, which provides D to all Charm checks made against him. Like most Zygerrians. Prince Molec is bold and aggressive. even vicious in his negotiations. and he is highly resistant to intimidation. which upgrades the difficulty of all Coercion checks against the prince twice. However. Molec also admires boldness in others. which lowers the difficulty of the next check made after attempting a Coercion or Deception check against the Molec once. Unfortunately, this tactic works only once. as Prince Molec quickly grows bored of the conversation.

DARK DEAL The PCs can now open negotiations with Prince Sono Molec for aid. Obtaining the prince's assistance requires three successful social skill checks. The first is to convince Molec the job is worth taking, the second dictates the prince's compensation. and the final check determines how many slaves he dedicates to the effort. If any of the three checks result in failure with@. negotiations end and the party is sent away, potentially even attacked by the prince and his guards. A CONVINCING ARGUMENT

The first parley requires an opposed social skill check to convince the prince to consider the party's offer. Since the Empire gives preferential treatment to the Zygerrian Empire's slave permits. the prince has no reason to betray the Emperor. However, Molec has a deep-seated hatred for Captain Nervi. whom he blames for his exile, and mentioning Nervi's name reduces the difficulty of any social skill checks by two.

THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX

FR.IEM>S LIICE THESE

Success means the prince is swayed and agrees to help the PCs, while failure means Molec remains unconvinced and will only consider lending assistance if the party finds some way to sweeten the deal. The prince is impressed by the PCs' sharp wit with t), t) t), or@. which downgrades the difficulty of their next social skill check once. @ @ allows the prince's paranoia to creep into the conversation, and he believes the PCs are plotting against him with a member of his court. imposing ■ ■ on the next social skill check. After the PCs have tried to win the prince's support. read the following aloud: With a deep sigh, the prince groans. "This conversation is beginning to bore me. How do I know you're not working for my father or the Karazak Slavers' Cooperative, and aren't just trying to bring down my organization? Tell me what you have that is so valuable to me that I would risk angering the Empire. "

BLOOD MONEY

A second opposed social skill check is necessary to present the prince with an enticing offer. The PCs might be able to exploit one of the prince's many vices, such as gambling and spice addiction. The prince is also open to any offer of assistance in killing his father so he can be crowned king of the Zygerrian Slave Empire; such an offer adds □ Dto the next social skill check. Molec may be convinced to accept Alliance intelligence on his rival slaver organizations and their movements throughout the Outer Rim. If the PCs conspire with Jorec and Mard, the prince may even be susceptible to blackmail. WHAT YOUR CREDITS BOUGHT

The final opposed social skill check determines how many slaves, conscripts. guards. and ships the prince devotes to the party's endeavor. Success means the prince devotes two slaver ships crewed with eight royal guards and two-hundred slaves each, escorted by four HH-87 Starhoppers. to Foundry Four's defense. Each additional net ~ adds a further twenty slaves per ship. and t), t), t) or @ adds another crewed slaver ship and two escorts. The group of slaves is comprises mainly Twi'lek laborers. but t), can be used to persuade Molec to include more combat-worthy slaves, such as Talz. With t), t),. Molec may even include some Mandalorian prisoners.

DAMAGE CONTROL

DUTY [INTERNAL SECURITY): NOT ON MY WATCH

m

inning the support of the Zygerrian prince is no small task. but keeping their new allies from fight· ing each other could be even more difficult. If both the Mandalorians and the Zygerrians come to assist in Foundry Four's defense, the PCs must work to keep the peace between the different parties until the battle begins. Unfortunately, Zygerrians live to instigate matters with groups of those they see as lesser beings.

W

aintaining the secrecy of Foundry Four is paramount; all of the PCs' efforts and the lives lost defending the compound instead of evacuating may be for naught if lmperi· als outside Captain Nervi's command learn of the facility's existence. When a new ally is brought to the facility, the GM should use the PC with this Duty to reinforce that, despite any arrangements made t hrough negotia· tions, treachery is still a possibility. Assign· ing them as a liaison or additional guard to shadow Pri nce Molec to keep his mischief in check or to ensure he does not betray Coorsa or the Rebellion at the last mi nute is a great way to emphasize this Duty's importance, especially moving forward into Episode IV.

If Nam Beroya survived this episode and Molec accompanies the PCs back to Xorrn, Nam Beroya reluctantly agrees to serve as Molec's military counsel and personal bodyguard after the prince threatens to slay a thousand Talz in his name if he refuses. If Vera is also with the Mandalorians on Xorrn, read the following aloud when they first see each other: After u split scconci of ciisbe/ief. Vero /11rovvs off lier /,e/met one/ rus/Jes to /Jer fo/1,c,: wruppinr; /Jer orms oro11n(I //im. "Buir' Voti're olive.'" ,\um c;ivcs un cxlwuslecl qrin, "// :~ so qoocl lo see uou. \ler'iko. It looks like 1J01i've done o fine jol! of kecpincJ tl1e clun logcl//e,: I'm so proucl of uou. I ,nrgl!'" Sue/den/If. '\'om is /Houqht lo //is knees. slippincJ from \,<,rus r1rus1;. Tile olcf ,v/onclo clmvs o/ /Jis slove wllw us it ores will! elect1icitu.

Prince .Holec steps towurcl //1e pui,: "Honcls olf IIIIJ woper/ t/. cleor ..

If Vera Beroya confronts the prince about her father's captivity, Molec offers to release him in exchange for her obedience and servitude. The PCs must make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Leadership or Negotiation check to keep Vera and Molec separated or to strike a bargain that would keep them from abandoning Foundry Four's defense. In order to prevent the Mandalorians and the Alli· ance from double-crossing him, Molec fits himself with a life-sign monitor tied to Nam Beroya's explosive implant and the other slave collars, so if the prince dies. Nam's and the slaves die with him. He also threatens to reveal the location of Foundry Four to Imperials outside Captain Nervi's circle of influence to keep everyone in line. An opposed social skill check is needed to reign in Molec and force him to focus on the fortification efforts.

EPISODE Ill: XP REWARDS Standard experience point rewards for Episode Ill : •

Successfully navigating the slave bazaar: 5 to 10 XP

•

Gaining access to the slave auction banquet: 10 XP

•

Rescuing Nam Beroya from Baron Sevelle or the Thalassians: 10 XP

•

Freeing the slaves from the slave sector: 5 XP

•

Defeating Prince Molec and freeing the Zygerrians' slaves: 5 XP

•

Successfully securing the aid of Prince Molec to defend Foundry Four: IO XP

should also award the following: •

Duty: Players should each earn 1 to 10 Duty based on their individual Motivations and Duty. A bonus + 5 Duty may be awarded for fulfilling the triggered Duty or for any noteworthy heroic acts made on behalf of the Rebel Alliance.

In addition to awarding experience points, the GM

THE ZVGERRIAN PARADOX

FRIENDS UIC.E ntESE

PREPARING FOR BATTLE he GM has a number of things to organize prior to the battle. In addition to tracking which allies the PCs recruited and which battlegrounds have been fortified. the GM must also make certain that the details of the situation represent party choices made throughout the adventure. Finally, the GM must begin a five-hour countdown to the arrival of the Alliance reinforcement fleet.

T

FINAL FORTIFICATIONS The PCs might return from their search for allies long before the Imperial invasion begins. If so, they may use that time directing, constructing, or modifying fortifications at various battlegrounds or performing other lastminute actions (see Hardened Target. on page 26). At this time. the PCs might have access to the engineers of Foundry Four. the Foundry Four security team. up to three-dozen Mandalorians. a squad of Talz, over a dozen Zygerrians. and several hundred slave laborers, all capable of helping to make the defense of Foundry Four a more survivable endeavor.

PRECISE TIMING After forty-eight hours have passed. Captain Nervi arrives in the Xorrn system with his task force. A new five-hour countdown begins to track. At the conclusion of this countdown, the Rebel armada arrives to relieve Foundry Four. The rest of Episode IV is resolved as a nine-phase mass combat using the Mass Combat rules on pages 10 and 11 . Unless otherwise stated. each phase at the battlegrounds detailed below takes twenty minutes to resolve. As the goal of the PCs and their allies is to delay the Imperial advance as long as possible, giving the Rebel armada time to reach the fight, successful Mass Combat checks will lengthen the resolution of a phase, as described on a case by case basis. The results of each Mass Combat check should be spent according to Table 0-3: Spending t,, @, @, and @ in Mass Combat, on page 11 . At the end of the phase during which five hours (300 minutes) has finally passed. immediately proceed to The Allied Armada Arrives. on page 94.

WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE, ANYWAY? here are several potential commanders to direct defenses at each of the battlegrounds. While the PCs can choose to direct combat themselves. it could reduce their ability to chase targets of interest. For ease of reference, the other potential commanders' Leadership skill ranks and unique command abilities are listed below:

T

Cacique: Leadership 3 (Coorsa). Leadership 2 (Sargan). Leadership 1 (Vinder). Rousing Speech: The Cacique can inspire the defenders of Foundry Four with a rousing speech over the comms. Doing so adds ■ to the Mass Combat check for that phase. Chief Bellows: Leadership 2. Home Turf: The veteran security chief knows every square meter of Foundry Four. If he is leading a Mass Combat check made at the graveyard or Foundry Four battlegrounds, he can add an automatic r1 to any Mass Combat check. Prince Molec: Leadership 3. Lead through Fear: The prince and his slavers create fear among the enemy. If leading a Mass Combat check made at the graveyard or Foundry Four battlegrounds. once per battleground, he can force the enemy to make a Hard (◊ ◊ ◊l fear check. Instead of

making an individual check for each enemy unit in the particular battleground, the GM should roll the check using the enemy force commander's Willpower and Discipline skill. The consequences of a successful or failed check are applied to the enemy forces in the battlefield. This is to represent the enemy force commander's ability to keep his troops in good order in the face of a terrifying foe. Chieftains Beroya: Leadership 3 (Nam). Leadership 2 (Vera). Guerilla Warfare: The Chieftains know the value of a hidden force that reveals itself at just the right moment. If either lead. they can choose to downgrade the abi lity of their Mass Combat check once to conceal a reserve force. During a subsequent phase at that battleground. they can spring the trap. Remove the penalty, and upgrade the ability of the next Mass Combat check twice.

For the purposes of the base Mass Combat check dice pools are presented at the end of each phase of the battle. The presented pool assumes a commander with 2 ranks in Leadership. If the specific circumstances of the game contradict this, the check should be upgraded according to the commander's ranks in the Leadership skill instead.

CAPTAIN RALCHIO NERVI (NEMESIS]

GLADIATOR-CLASS STAR DESTROYER

Born Ralchio Sargan out of an affair between Vilola Sargan and Jans Coorsa. Ralchio grew up knowing his true parentage, but forbidden from discussing it. Still. he felt entitled to both Jans Coorsa·s position as cacique and to the strange, almost mystical techniques Jans had used to combat the Republic and later the Empire on Gall. Ralchio fought alongside Jans. but he always felt his birth father treated him worse than the Imperials ever did. Eventually, he was driven to extremes by the emotional distress. and he confronted his father. demanding to know his secrets. When Jans refused. Ralchio gave in to rage and blacked out. When he woke. Jans was dead. despite the lack of any sign of external damage.

Originally conceived by the legendary Walex Blissex as a Star Destroyer escort in the heavy battle lines of the Clone Wars. the Gladiator I was repurposed by the Galactic Empire as an independent. long-range patrol craft. The overpowered patrol vessel is able to project Imperial strength and pacify entire systems for up to two years without resupply. The Gladiator also has two battalions of stormtroopers. five AT-ST walkers, and the various shuttlecraft necessary to land them.

Ralchio fled. He decided to join the Empire. convinced his family would never think to look for him there. Before joining, he married Lila Nervi. a member of the influential Nervi family. Ralchio cautiously explored his connection to the Force. but went to extremes to hide his powers for fear of Imperial discovery. His paranoia convinced him an Imperial assault on Xorrn could expose him not just as an associate of traitors to the Empire. but as a Force user. Eventually. he knew the only way to protect his secrets would be to launch an attack on Xorrn himself and destroy any evidence.

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Skills: Charm 2. Coercion 2. Discipline 2. Knowledge (Education) 2. Knowledge (Warfare) 4, Leadership 3. Talents: Adversary 2 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against this target twice). Force Rating 2. Abilities: Dark Side Force User (uses Dark Side results instead of Light Side results, see page 294 of the Ace oF ReseLuoN Core Rulebook). Imperial Valor (may perform a maneuver to cause all ranged attacks targeting Captain Nervi to instead hit one ally or helpless enemy he is engaged with until the beginning of his next turn). Unnatural Luck (twice per session. can roll 00 after an NPC or PC makes a check for an activity that occurs within Captain Nervi's line of sight. but before the check is resolved: may spend • to remove t> or add @ . or • • to remove ~ or add Y ). Equipment: Comlink. datapad, holoprojector. scomplink.

THE BATTLE OF XORRN

FRIENDS LICE THESE

The 600-meter Star Destroyer packs incredible firepower. and it is equally comfortable performing system patrol. orbital bombardment. anti-ship, and escort missions. Its relatively low price point enables the Empire to send Gladiators throughout the Outer Rim. where they are unlikely to encounter anything more threatening than pirates in converted haulers or salvaged starfighters.

PHASE 1: ORBITAL BATTLEGROUND, PART 1 The allied forces in orbit consist of the PCs and technical personnel on board the repair yard, which sets the Ability dice of the Mass Combat check at ◊ ◊ If at least two capital-scale allies occupy the orbital battleground, increase the ability once. Potential capital-scale allies include automated turbolasers hidden within the asteroid belt, Captain Renlow on board the lcorii-7, and Prince Molec aboard his corvette. the Unbreakable Chain. Additionally, salvaged droid starfighters, Zygerrian HH-87 Storhoppers, and a group of Xorrn-built fighters flown by Mandalorians can each contribute, each increasing the ability of the Mass Combat check by one. The commander of the orbital defense upgrades these dice with.the commander's ranks in the Leadership skill. The Empire arrives in the Xorrn system with one Gladiator-class Star Destroyer and two Roider /-class corvettes, which immediately raise their shields and deploy eighteen TIE fighters that zoom forward to attack (forming six minion groups of three fighters each). The Imperials withhold six TIE fighters as a defensive screen. The Imperial capital ships move to assault the orbital shipyard and any capital ships of Xorrn and its allies. The immense size of the Imperial force sets the Difficulty dice at ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦- Captain Nervi commands this force personally, upgrading the difficulty three times, for ••• ♦♦If the PCs are in starfighters, they can take the fight to the Empire. If they choose to do so. one minion group of three TIE fighters disengages from the attack on the orbital assets and engages the PCs. Before the Mass Combat check is resolved for this phase, resolve the outcome of a dogfight between the PCs and the TIE fighters (see page 243 of the AcE o F REBELLION Core Rulebook). If the PCs overcome the enemy starfighters. this decreases the difficulty of the Mass Combat check once. If the PCs are driven off, they have no overall effect on the mass combat. PCs may also attempt to manually override any automated turbolasers' or droid starfighters' targeting protocols and direct them remotely. Doing so requires a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Computers check. Each ':¢f generated on this check can be spent to gain automatic t) on the Phase 1 Mass Combat check.

THE BATTLE OF XORRN

FREND$ UK£ 11tESE

Hull Type/Class: Starfighter/TIE series. Manufacturer: Seinar Fleet Systems. Hyperdrive: None. Navicomputer: None. Sensor Range: Close. Ship's Complement: One pilot. Encumbrance Capacity: 4. Passenger Capacity: 0. Price/ Rarity: 50,000 credits (R)/4. Customization Hard Points: 0. Weapons: Forward-mounted medium laser can-

nons (Fire Arc Forward: Damage 6: Critical 3: Range !Close!; Linked 1). The base dice pool for the Phase 1 Mass Combat check is: OO eee ♦♦• If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The Imperial task force advances

on the orbital shipyard, bringing all its weapons to bear. Allied forces retreat to a fallback position in low orbit around the planet to regroup for a new standoff in Phase 2. Foundry Four's orbital assets are damaged enough to decrease the ability of the Mass Combat check in Phases 2 and 3. The GM can spend@ in this phase's Mass Combat check to inflict serious damage to one of the defenders' orbital assets. This does not destroy it, but if it suffers further damage in later phases, it could very well be destroyed. The GM should then proceed to Phase 2 . •

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat Check:

Friendly forces harass Imperial capital ships long enough to delay the advance an extra twenty minutes-meaning that this phase takes forty minutes to resolve in total. One minion group of TIE fighters is destroyed during this phase, in addition to any casualties the PCs inflicted. The PCs can spend t) .t, t) .t, .t, or @ in this phase's Mass Combat check to inflict serious damage to one of the Raiders. This does not destroy it, but if it suffers further damage in later phases, it could very well be destroyed. Proceed to Phase 2 .

PHASE 2: ORBITAL BATTLEGROUND, PART 2 This phase begins when Imperial forces reach the orbital shipyard. Allied forces maintain their position in low orbit and face off against the Imperial strike force. Barring any outcomes from the previous phase, the base Ability and Proficiency dice remain the same as in that phase. The Imperials close in on the orbital shipyard and any capital ships of Xorrn or its allies. flanking and bombarding allied forces with a withering hail of turbolaser fire. This adds ■ to the Mass Combat check for Phase 2 , as well as ■ on the actions of any PCs located on the orbital shipyard or surrounding asteroids. Barring any outcomes from the previous phase, the base Difficulty and Challenge dice remain the same as in that phase. If the PCs continue to engage the Imperial forces in starfighters, they come under attack from two minion groups of three TIE fighters each (see page 80). Before the Mass Combat check is resolved for this phase, resolve the outcome of a dogfight between the PCs and the TIE fighters. until both TIE groups are destroyed or the PCs are forced to retreat or are destroyed. For each minion group of TIE fighters overcome by the PCs. decrease the difficulty of the Mass Combat check once. As the Imperial forces draw closer, PCs in control of the turbolasers and droid starfighters can direct them at the Imperial capital ships. Doing so requires a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Computers check by the PC slicing the targeting system. If successful. the PC lands some punishing blows on the Imperial Raiders. Add additional, automatic t} t} to the Mass Combat check for Phase 2 . The base dice pool for the Phase 2 Mass Combat check is: OO eee ♦♦ ■• If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The Empire swarms the orbital shipyard. bombarding it with precision turbolaser strikes and ion cannon blasts. disabling the repair yard and any reactivated systems on the Acclamator-class cruiser in which it hides. The allied forces lose the orbital shipyard and any military assets housed there. This decreases the ability of the Mass Combat check for Phase 3 by one. The defenders retreat to the upper atmosphere under pursuit from Imperial forces. The GM should proceed to Phase 3 at this point. •

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check:

Holding their position in low orbit, the defenders do enough damage to the Imperial invasion force to significantly slow the assault. One minion group of three TIE fighters is destroyed in the battle. The PCs may spend t} t} t} t) t} or @ to destroy a previously damaged Raider.

THE BATTLE OF XORRN

FRIENDS UIC£ TMESE

Destroying the Raider removes it from the fight entirely and decreases the Difficulty of the Phase 3 Mass Combat check once. An extra twenty minutes pass while resolving this phase- meaning that this phase takes forty minutes to resolve in total. The defenders make a fighting retreat to the upper atmosphere. holding Imperial forces at bay and giving those on the orbital platform time to make for the escape pods. Proceed to Phase 3.

GRAVEYARD BATTLEGROUND (PHASES 4-6)

0

nee the Empire controls Xorrn orbit, it begins landing its troops. Read the following aloud:

"It's just like we expected: they're landing outside the graveyard on the far side of the Senti· nel," the Cacique shouts over the comms. "Get clear and take position at the edge of the graveyard until they commit. "

On the far side of the wreck of the Acclamator-class Star Destroyer Sentinel. on Xorrn's surface, a steady stream of Imperial landing craft disgorge infantry and walkers. The troops immediately secure the landing zone and dispatch scouts to gauge the enemy defenses. Once the Imperials build up their numbers to the point at which Lieutenant Colonel Hovlinn feels confident of success. they march on the core ship graveyard.

PHASE4:GRAVEYARD BATTLEGROUND, PART 1 Allied forces that may be deployed at the graveyard include of a squad of security personnel and a company of lightly armed engineers, which sets the Ability dice for the Mass Combat check to ◊◊- However, the additional forces that have been rallied by the PCs could shift the balance of the fight significantly. There could be a platoon of Mandalorian commandos(◊◊ ◊ ◊J. a squad of Talz hunters (◊ ◊), an army of several hundred Zygerrian slaves (◊ ◊ ◊ ◊), a platoon of salvaged B 1 battle droids (◊ ◊ ◊l. or a squad of droidekas (◊ ◊ ◊) . When calculating the Ability dice for the Mass Combat check for this phase, start with the largest number of Ability dice provided by any single allied force present on the graveyard battleground, and increase the ability by one if any other allied forces are present.

The base dice pool provided below presents an example baseline force of three ability dice, increased by the allied forces, for a total of ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊- These dice are upgraded by the Leadership skill of the commander leading the assault on this battleground-the base dice pool assumes two ranks of the Leadership skill. If the lcarii-7, Unbreakable Chain, or both are on the battleground. each can provide D to the check while bombarding the landing zone. The Imperial landing zone is on the far side of the Sentinel wreckage, which provides cover for the invasion force and adds ■ on the Mass Combat check. Assuming any of the TIE fighters survived the orbital battleground, a minion group of up to four TIE fighters provides air support, adding an additional ■. At the start of the phase, the Empire deploys 200 troops with ten speeder bikes and two AT-ST walkers, setting the difficulty at ♦♦♦♦♦- The invasion force is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hovlinn, which upgrades the difficulty twice.

AT-ST WALKER

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Arc Forward; Damage 4; Critical 4: Range [Closel) Chin-mounted twin heavy blaster cannons (Fire Arc Forward: Damage 5: Critical 4: Range [Close]; Linked 1). 74-Z SPEEDER BIKE

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Vehicle Type/Model: Speeder Bike/7 4-Z. M anufacturer: Aratech Repulsor Company. Maximum Altitude: 25 meters. Sensor Range: Close. Crew: One pilot. Encumbrance Capacity: 5. Passenger Capacity: 1. Price/Rarity: 3,000 credits/4. Customization Hard Points: 2. Weapons: Forward-mounted light repeat-

ing blaster-this weapon's entire profile uses personal scale, not planetary scale (Fire Arc Forward: Damage 11; Critical 3: Range [Extreme]: Auto-fire. Pierce 1).

If the PCs are with the Foundry Four ground forces during this phase, they have a number of options for assisting the battle. If the PCs engage the AT-ST walkers or the speeder bikes and either pull them away from the main attack force or destroy them, their efforts downgrade the difficulty of the Mass Combat check once. If they do so, the have to face off against the Imperial assets on their own. These assets comprise either two minion groups of three speeder bikes each, or a lone AT-ST This could pose a sizable challenge to the PCs without a great deal of forethought. PCs with access to atmosphere-capable starships could engage any remaining Imperial TIE support, removing the ■ the TIE fighters add to the Mass Combat check.

Any PC wishing to act as field medic for the allied forces can make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦) Medicine check to keep their fighting strength up. If the PC succeeds. they significantly reduce casualties inflicted during this phase and add D to the Mass Combat check to reflect the positive effect this has on morale. Given the terrain of this battlefield. the PCs could attempt to bottleneck the Imperial forces by blocking their way through the graveyard. causing them to progress more slowly. Doing so requires either explosives or some form of heavy machinery capable of moving parts of the wreck, along with a Hard (♦♦♦) Mechanics check. The GM is encouraged to flip a Destiny Point to upgrade the difficulty of the check to represent the danger on an active battleground. Should the PC succeed. add automatic t> t> to the Mass Combat check for this phase. The base dice pool for the Phase 4 Mass Combat check is: 00◊◊ @ ♦♦♦ □ □ ■■.

THE BATTLE OF XORRN

F'RIEM>S LIKE. THESE

•

•

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The initial invasion forms a beachhead at the landing zone and presses forward, adding another 200 troops and another AT-ST walker to its ground forces. The defenders suffer losses throughout the phase, enough to reduce the ability of the Mass Combat check in Phases 5 and 6 by one unless the PCs can pull elements stationed elsewhere in the Xorrn foundry to reinforce them. Proceed to Phase 5 . If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check:

The defenders dig in and successfully stall the Imperial march. The Imperial force takes losses, but more importantly, the intractable forces of Foundry Four halt the Imperial advance. making the landing process ever more difficult. No new Imperial troops are landed this phase, and it takes the Imperial forces an extra thirty minutes to secure their landing site. meaning Phase 4 takes fifty minutes to resolve in total. Proceed to Phase 5.

PHASES:GRAVEYARD BATTLEGROUND, PART 2 The defenders continue their fighting retreat as the Imperials march through the graveyard wreckage. More Imperial troops pour in from the landing zone. The Ability and Proficiency dice remain the same as in the previous phase. Defending warriors have a number of fire positions from the cover of the wreckage. adding D to the Mass Combat check. If the PCs failed the Mass Combat check from Phase 4 , the defenders took significant losses and the ability of the Mass Combat check for this phase is reduced by one. The PCs can offset this by making a Hard C♦♦♦) Leadership or Daunting (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦l Coercion check. If successful.

the PC is able to convince a military asset deployed within the landing shafts or the foundry itself to redeploy to the graveyard. offsetting the losses suffered in Phase 4 . but impacting the available assets at the foundry itself. Imperial troops and vehicles continue to land as the initial force makes its way through the wreckage. Any remaining TIE fighters continue to provide air support, adding ■ to the Mass Combat check. If the /carii- 7 or Unbreakable Chain are present on the battleground, or if any PCs are in atmosphere-capable starships, they can occupy any TIE support, harassing and distracting it, if not outright destroying it.

This removes the ■ added to the check by the TIE fighters. If the PCs are involved. they face the remaining TIE fighters in combat. The TIE support is split into one minion group for every three TIEs. The PCs can can engage with this phase of the combat in the same ways that were available in Phase 4 : taking on the TIE air support. speeder bikes. or ATSTs directly; acting as medics; or attempting to further bottleneck the Imperial advance. See page 86 for these options and relevant skill checks. However, any successful action the PCs took during Phase 4 is not repeatable in Phase 5 , as the benefit has already been achieved. They may try any unexplored options or retry unsuccessful options this phase. In addition, if the PCs did not attempt the Target of Opportunity in Phase 4 , they may do so now. The base dice pool for the Phase 5 Mass Combat check is: 00 ◊◊ -- ♦♦♦ D ■. • If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The Empire persists in forcing the defenders back toward the landing shafts. The Imperials continue to land their ground troops as the initial landing zone fills with another 200 troops and another AT-ST walker.

which increases the difficulty of the Mass Combat check for Phase 6 by one. The PCs' allied strength is reduced enough to reduce the ability of the Mass Combat check in Phase 6 by one. The battle moves to Phase 6 .

• If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check: Defensive troops manage to catch Imperial soldiers in a crossfire, and anti-vehicle support drive the AT-ST walkers or TIE fighters into a defensive position. which decreases the difficulty of the Mass Combat check for Phase 6 by one. The Imperial forces consolidate their strength at the landing zone before pressing ahead in a final push to the landing shafts. This delays the resolution of Phase 5 by twenty minutes, meaning the phase takes a full forty minutes to resolve. Proceed to Phase 6 .

TH E BATTLE OF XORRN

F'RJENDS UIC.E THESE

PHASE&:GRAVEYARD BATTLEGROUND, PART 3 For the final phase of the graveyard battleground. the defenders retreat deeper into the graveyard, near the landing shafts. The ability, Proficiency, Difficulty, and Challenge dice remain the same as in Phase 5 , modified by the outcomes of previous phases. With the mass of Imperial troops present on the battlefield, it is nearly impossible for the retreating allied forces to fall back without exposing themselves to enemy fire; this adds ■ to the Mass Combat check. As in previous phases in the braveyard battleground, any remaining TIE air support adds ■ to the Mass Combat check unless mitigated by PC or allied air support.

The PCs can attempt to provide covering fire for their allies during the fighting retreat. To do so, a PC must make an Easy(♦♦) Gunnery, Ranged (Light). or Ranged (Heavy) check. If successful, remove ■ from the Mass Combat check this phase. PCs wishing to lead a feint against the Imperial troops could take some vehicles and a handful of Foundry Four troops and attempt to draw the attacking forces away from the landing shafts. Such an action requires a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Deception check. If successful. the PC draws off enemy pursuit. adding 5 minutes to the total time required to resolve this phase for each net ~ - However. this is a very dangerous option. so the GM can spend @ generated on this check to inflict 1 wound on each PC involved. The base dice pool for the Phase 6 Mass Combat check is: 00◊◊ -- ♦♦♦ ■■. •

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The Imperial troops overwhelm the retreating defenders. driving them into a hasty descent. Massive losses and crumbling morale add ■ ■ to each subsequent phase of the mass combat. During each phase. the PCs or the acting force commander can attempt to rally the defenders of Foundry Four. Doing so requires a Daunting (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦l Charm, Coercion, or Command check. If successful, remove the ■ ■ their broken morale would impose for the remainder of the battle. Meanwhile, the Empire has taken full con trol of the graveyard, and any remaining ground forces are able to land without incident. Proceed to the Foundry Four Battleground.

•

lf the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check: The PCs' allies succeed in retreating to cover near the edge of the landing shaft and begin to make their retreat into the bowels of the factory. Thinking they have their enemies on the run. the Imperial troops consolidate their forces a good distance from the landing shaft. Little do they know t.hat the defenders are retreating in good order. preparing for the final confrontation with the invaders as they go. This adds automatic t) t) to the Mass Combat check of Phase 8 .

In addition. the allied combatants who have escaped the graveyard are added to those forces that defend the foundry, increasing the numbers within the foundry substantially. Depending on which forces are left. this could increase the ability of the Phase 7 Mass Combat check by up to two, at the GM's discretion. The caution of the Imperial invaders costs them precious time. and it is an extra twenty minutes before the attackers make a serious attempt on the landing shaft, meaning this phase takes a full forty minutes to resolve. Proceed to the Foundry Four Battleground.

GRAVEYARD BATTLEGROUND AFTERMATH The defenders retreat to the landing shafts and take transports (Mandalorian shuttles, Aurore-class freighters. or other available vehicles) to the bottom. The Empire consolidates control of the core ship graveyard, stomping out any isolated pockets of resistance before massing near each landing shaft. The Imperi als bring up any remaining walkers and begin anchoring rappelling lines. Any larger ships. if present, are driven off. The lcarii- 7 jumps into hyperspace. and the Unbreakable Chain lands in a nearby canyon. where any Zygerrian leaders on board transfer to a small airspeeder to rejoin the fight. Move on to the Foundry Four Battleground.

FOUNDRY FOUR BATTLEGROUND (PHASES 7-9) . nee the Imperials overrun the graveyard battleground, they advance and divide their forces, massing them around the east and west landing shafts to make their way into the factory of Foundry Four itself. Read the following aloud:

D

The Cocique's voice echoes over the factory loudspeakers. "Attention, everyone. Imperial troops are mossing near the landing shafts. This is it. We hove to hold them bock. We hold the landing shafts for our children waiting to come home, and we hold for those who died on Goll. We hold for our fallen comrades, and we hold for those fighting beside us today. We hold, and we don't give them a nanometer without mok· ing them pay in blood. We hold, and we show the Empire that we ore mighty!"

The defenders and their allies roar in defiance, signaling their readiness to give their all. Meanwhile. the Imperials begin dividing the invasion force to assault both landing shafts simultaneously. The party may want to split its efforts to meet the Empire on both fronts. As the two landing shaft battles are happening concurrently and the defenders and attackers at each shaft are each part of a larger whole. the two battles should be treated as a single whole mass combat to avoid confusion and unnecessary complication. Allied forces should be divided per the PCs' direction, though for the purposes of the Mass Combat check all forces will be part of a single combat.

PHASE7:FOUNDRYFOUR BATTLEGROUND, PART 1 Any remaining friendly forces retreat to the bottom of the landing shaft and prepare to defend the key base bottleneck. As with previous battlegrounds, the ability of the Mass Combat check is determined by the strongest force allied to Foundry Four. upgraded once by the presence of additional forces. The denizens of Foundry Four, with Lira Hardin right in the middle {◊ ◊) are the least of the forces that could be fighting to defend their home. At this point. the PCs' allies may have taken serious losses. so any of the following force strengths should be mitigated by the GM to represent these losses. Other forces that could be present fighting alongside the PCs include: the Mandalorian commandos {◊ ◊ ◊ ◊L a platoon of salvaged Bl battle droids (◊◊◊l. a squad of droidekas (◊ ◊ ◊l. a squad of Talz hunters(◊ ◊L or a platoon of Zygerrian slaves{◊◊). The battlefield commander upgrades this check a number of times equal to the commander's ranks in the Leadership skill, per the Who's In Charge Here, Anyway? sidebar, on page 76. The shafts are natural chokepoints, and Imperial troops are vulnerable to attack during their

descent. adding D to the Mass Combat check. If the

Mandalorians are present for this battle, their affinity for jet packs is of particular use in the landing shafts. adding automatic O O to the Mass Combat check. With the graveyard under their complete control. the Empire has landed its full invasion force. bringing the grand total of deployed forces-prior to any lossesto 1,200 stormtroopers, ten speeder bikes, five ATSTs. and a Floating Fortress. The stormtroopers are deployed in three divisions: two attack divisions (one to each landing shaft) and a third division to secure the landing site and act as reinforcements when needed. Any AT-ST walkers that survived the previous phases take up a mobile perimeter around the drop site. Remaining speeder bikes scout the graveyard and surrounding territory. The difficulty of this Mass Combat check begins at ♦♦♦♦♦- Captain Nervi takes command inside the factories even if Hovlinn has survived. He upgrades the difficulty of this check three times due to his Leadership skill. Fortunately for the PCs. coordinating two attack vectors while retaining a defensible position at the landing zone is a tough job. so the PCs add a further □□ to the Mass Combat check. During this phase, the PCs are in the thick of the fighting That the Imperials are going to take the landing shafts is inevitable, but every minute counts. The PCs can add their strength to the battle by each making a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Combat skill check. The GM is encouraged to allow the PCs to modify this check with any particular talents or gear applicable to combat against the stormtroopers, who are rappelling down the shaft, providing covering fire, and landing on the platform. Each successful check increases the duration of this phase by five minutes, and each @ can be spent to increase it by ten minutes. Players can each spend O O on their check to add automatic O To the Mass Combat check at the end of the phase. However, the GM can spend @ @ from each check to add ■ to the Mass Combat check. and @ to remove D from the pool. The base dice pool for the Phase 7 Mass Combat check is: 00 ◊◊ ·•• ♦♦ □□□. •

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: Driven back from the landing shafts by a hail of Imperial blaster fire, the defenders slam the blast doors between the landing platforms and the factory shut. The defenders suffer significant losses during the retreat. decreasing the ability of the Mass Combat check during Phases 8 and 9 once. The stormtroopers set a rally point on the platforms to marshal their strength for the final assault. Proceed to Phase 8 .

• If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check: The defenders pull into the factory, slamming the blast doors behind them. The stormtroopers take the landing shaft, but it has cost

them dearly in Imperial lives and precious time. While Nervi's forces are far too numerous to be significantly impacted by their losses, the effect on both sides· morale is palpable. Flip one dark side Destiny Point to a light side Destiny Point. This phase takes an extra twenty minutes, meaning this phase takes a full forty minutes to r.esolve before proceeding to Phase 8 .

PHASEB:FOUNDRYFOUR BATTLEGROUND, PART 2 Defensive forces retreat from the blast doors into the mazelike factory, hiding among the machinery. The Ability and Proficiency dice remain the same as in Phase 7 . modified by the outcomes of that phase. The clutter of machinery and crates provides cover for the defenders, adding D to the Mass Combat check. Given that the Imperial advance is bottlenecked by the two entrances from the landing shafts to the factories. the maximum force strength they are able to bring to bear in this phase is ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦- This is upgraded according to their Leadership, as described in the last phase. The PCs can further stymie the stormtroopers' advance from the landing shafts by activating the machinery of the factory, forcing the stormtroopers to fight amid the uproar of an automated machining system. To activate the factory systems. a PC must make an Easy(♦) Mechanics or Average (♦♦l Computers check. If the PC succeeds. downgrade the difficulty of the Mass Combat check for this phase once, to represent the chaos that envelops the stormtroopers. The base dice pool for the Phase 8 Mass Combat check is OO ◊◊ OOO ♦ □ D

FAMILIAL TIES, PART 1 uring Phase 8, Lira Hardin catches a glimpse of Captain Nervi, and the recognition is instantaneous. She knows this man: she knew him when he was a boy growing up on Xorrn, the son of Vi Iola Sargan. Unfortunately, her recognition sparks her paranoia. She immediately assumes that Vilola must have sold Foundry Four out to the Empire through her son, for some selfish goal. With a curse, she lets off a volley of blaster shots before she retreats from the battlefield to hunt down and turn Vilola over to the Cacique. If the PCs wish to stop Hardin, it requires an opposed social skill check. Regardless of the result, Hardin uses her comlink to inform the Cacique about the presence and identity of the Imperial captain.

D

•

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The

Imperial troops boil out of the landing shafts and overwhelm the factory grounds with speed and ferocity. With the end of the battle in sight, they are bolstered by their coming victory. A small number of those defending Foundry Four make a fighting last stand to slow the stormtroopers and guard the retreat of their allies, knowing that they are not going to survive the firefight. The GM should choose who makes this noble sacrifice. It should be meaningful to the PCs and should be played out in dramatic fashion. This will remove the sacrificed force from the last phase of the battle. so reduce the ability of the Phase 9 Mass Combat check by one. The fighting during this phase takes the usual twenty minutes. but it takes the stormtroopers another twenty to breach the control center blast doors, meaning Phase 8 takes forty minutes in total to resolve. Proceed to Phase 9 . •

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass combat check:

The defenders pin the Imperial stormtroopers down in the factory long enough to make their fighting retreat to the control center largely unharmed. They seal the blast doors to the control center, hoping to hold off the enemy until the Rebel reinforcements arrives. The fighting during this phase takes the usual twenty minutes. but it takes the stormtroopers another twenty to breach the control center blast doors. at which to Phase 9. tim

PHASE 9: FOUND RY FOUR BATTL EGROU ND, PART 3 Phase 9 begins as the Imperial stormtroopers breach the blast doors to the foundry control center. All of the remaining defenders of the facility are within the sprawling control complex. so the GM should calculate the ability of the Mass Combat check as per Phase 8 , modified by the outcomes of that phase. However. given the close proximity to the forces doing the fighting, the acting force commander does not need any sort of comms or other equipment to give orders. so any modifiers that have arisen due to lack of communications or other disruptions to the chain of command are ignored this phase. In addition. the defenders know they are cornered and there is no way out. This adds DD to the Mass Combat check. as they fight for their lives. Lastly, unless Coorsa was ousted in Episode I. he is strangely absent. If Coorsa was acting force commander. someone will have to replace him in that role for this phase. The Empire has entirely overrun the factory and has surrounded the control center. Yet, due to the limited ground within the factory, the Difficulty and Challenge dice of this check remain the same as in Phase 8 . Given the superior position of the stormtroopers. add ■ to the Mass Combat check.

The fighting at the control center is hard and fierce. The PCs have little choice but to lend their strength directly to the struggle to hold back the tide of stormtroopers. Any PC wishing to do so must make an Average (♦ ♦l Combat skill check. The GM is encouraged to allow the PCs to modify this check with any particular talents or gear applicable to combat against the stormtroopers breaching the control center. Each PC who succeeds adds automatic 'ff or t), to the Mass Combat check for the phase. PCs who fai l take 1 wound per net Y and 1 strain per net @ . These wounds and strain are not mitigated by soak. Any other PC wishing to act as field medic for the allied forces may make a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦l Medicine check to keep the defenders' fighting strength up. If the PC succeeds. the defenders reduce casualties sustained during this phase. adding Oto the Mass Combat check to reflect the positive effect this has on morale.

Leadership check. If successful, the PC has driven the defenders to fight harder than ever, possibly making up for their diminished numbers. Increase the ability of the Mass Combat check for this phase by one. If @ is rolled on this check. the PC has moved directly into harms way and has drawn the attention of the attackers. The PC is targetted by the enemy and suffers a single Critical Injury as the enemy concentrates fire on them. · The base dice pool for the Phase 9 Mass Combat check is: 00 ◊◊ •• ♦♦ □□ ■. •

If the PCs Fail the Mass Combat check: The Empire has solidified its position outside the control center and within the breach. Proceed to Backs to the Wall, below.

•

If the PCs Succeed on the Mass Combat check: The PCs and their allies have held the Imperial forces at bay, for the moment. The allies are suffering losses, but they have been mitigated by clever deployment and overlapping cover. The phase takes an extra twenty minutes, meaning Phase 9 takes forty minutes in total to resolve. Proceed to Backs to the Wall. below.

Finally, in such close-quarters fighting, inspiring leaders can make all the difference in the world. In addition to the acting force commander, the defenders can benefit from other charismatic figures or heroic actions. Any PCs wishing to inspire their allies may make a Hard (♦♦♦l

BACKS TO THE WALL he PCs have only two choices now. Either they must keep fighting, or they must surrender. This is effectively a death sentence for the PCs and the allies they have gathered. If the PCs choose to fight, repeat Phase 9 until the Rebel forces arrive or the PCs have fought Phase 9 a total of four times. and they are forced to surrender. If the Rebel fleet arrives, proceed to The Allied Armada Arrives. on page 94.

T

If the PCs complete Phase 9 for the fourth time. and the Rebel armada has not yet arrived, the PCs and their allies are overwhelmed, the control center is overrun, and the defenders of Foundry Four are forced to surrender.

FAMILIAL TIES, PART 2 fter the PCs complete Phase 9 for the first time, unless he was ousted in Episode I, Coorsa reappears from his unexplained absence. He drags Vilola Sargan alongside him. restrained in b inders. Read the following aloud:

A

Coorsa tosses Vilola to the deck of the control room. Looking around at the PCs amid the chaos of the battle, he says, "It looks like we've been sold out by one of our own!" "I'm not a traitor! I don't know what you are talking about!" Vilola bellows angrily, a hint of fear and sadness in her voice. "You had no idea that your own son was the one trying to take this facility? Take our home from us? Or maybe you just planned to pull the Empire into this to install yourself as the new cacique?" the young man screams.

If the PCs rescued Agent Alico during Phase 1 (see the Target of Opportunity sidebar on page 81 ), she has some insight into the relationship between Captain Nervi and Patrician Sargan. She can tell the PCs that Nervi never colluded with his mother. That. in fact. the Imperial captain is here specifically to get ahold of the data on the Rebel Fleet and then wipe Foundry Four off the map, to erase any record of his connection to this group of Rebel sympathizers. As such, Vilola is likely his priority target. Coorsa takes some convincing, but an opposed social skill check can persuade him to let Sargan go. If Agent Alico has divulged what she knows, add ■ ■ to the PCs' skill check.

FAMILIAL TIES, PART 3 fter the PCs complete Phase 9 for the second time, Ralchio Nervi shows himself. He enters the control center surrounded by a bodyguard of a dozen stormtroopers. Coorsa, if present, is consumed with rage as he sees the man responsible for so much destruction to his home. Coorsa confronts the Imperial captain. If Coorsa still believes that Vilola is Nervi's ally, he threatens to kill her. Otherwise, Coorsa lashes out at Nervi. Use Coorsa's Touch of Fate talent on the attack roll as he gives in to his hatred. In either case, Coorsa's eyes take on a sickly yellowish tinge and become flecked with red. Read the following aloud:

A

"Impressive, nephew. I didn't think you had that in you," Captain Nervi responds. "By all means, throw your life away. That's what I'm here for anyway. In fact. .. wait a moment. You foresaw this, didn't you?" He lets out a bark of bitter laughter. "He never taught you, either!" Nervi laughs maniacally. "Of course he didn't! He wielded such power. and it's within us, too. But he was always so.. .greedy. He kept it all for himself. He'd still be alive today if he'd just shown me. But now, this world must burn!"

THE ALLIED ARMADA ARRIVES Once five hours have passed since the start of the Imperial invasion, read the following aloud:

You don't notice it at first, but after a few seconds, rumbling explosions begin to shake the subterranean factory. Could the geothermal reactor have taken damage during the assault? No, this is something else. The fighting grinds to a halt as both sides take notice of the sound. After a few more seconds it dawns on you, and you can see the horror of realization wash over the Imperial troops. The Rebels have arrived! The sound must be the concussive rumbles of orbital bombardment of the Imperial landing zone. It doesn't take long before the sound of blaster fire and explosions echoes from the landing shafts. Despite the barked orders of their officers, the stormtroopers' attention is divided between your few stalwart holdouts and whatever is coming down the landing shafts. Seizing this momentary distraction, you and the defenders of the control center pounce and, in short order, your counterassault is rewarded with mass surrender.

THE BATTLE OF XORRN

FRIENDS IJJC£ T1tESE

At this point, Coorsa loses control and attempts to charge the Imperial captain. If the PCs wish to restrain him, they must make a Daunting (◊ ◊ ◊ ◊) Coercion or Charm check to persuade him against doing so or a Hard(◊◊◊) Brawl check to physically restrain him. If the PCs helped oust Coorsa from his position as cacique, they add D D to any social skill checks to stop him. Regardless. Nervi orders his stormtroopers to attack. The PCs will have to take on the stormtroopers (split into three minion groups of four stormtroopers each) and Nervi himself. If the PCs are incapacitated during this fight, the defenders in the control center surrender. If the PCs overcome Nervi and his guards, resolve the Mass Combat check for Phase 9 (counting as the third repetition of that phase). During this resol ution, the difficulty of the pool is not upgraded, as Captain Nervi is too consumed with the combat with the PCs to effectively lead his troops.

The Rebel forces have arrived and press the attack on the Imperial ships in orbit. The MonCal star cruiser at the head of the aid fleet begins pounding the Blood Ambition. Within minutes the remaining Imperial capital ships plot course and jump to hyperspace, abandoning their ground forces to capture or death. With their orbital strength suddenly absent, the Imperial ground troops are exposed and at the mercy of the fighter wings that descend to the atmosphere. A short. brutal battle takes place on the surface. and it is not long before the landing shafts are cleared and Rebel troopers make the descent to relieve the beleaguered denizens of Foundry Four. The battle is won. and what Imperials haven't been destroyed by the first few passes soon surrender. If Ralchio Nervi (nee Sargan) still survives, he refuses to go down without a fight. The PCs will have to take him into custody themselves. Depending on what the PCs did during Familial Ties, Part 3 , above, Coorsa either tries to kill Sargan-Nervi or orders him jailed. If Coorsa tries to kill the Imperial captain. it requires a Formidable (♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦l social skill check or a Hard (♦ ♦ ♦J Brawl check to stop him. Once Nervi's fate is settled. the Imperial forces have been defeated. and many Imperials have been captured. The PCs can receive medical attention and celebrate their unlikely victory with their newfound allies.

EXTENDED CAMPAIGNS GMs who choose to take their campaign away from Xorrn have other options to pursue: •

Fleet Supply Run: The PCs are asked to personally deliver a shipment of spare parts to the Rebel Fleet. along with a recently converted bulk hauler. During the trip, the PCs are given reason to doubt the captain's loyalty. Once he realizes he has been discovered, he captures the PCs and interrogates them, ripping apart their navicomputer to look for the Fleet rendezvous coordinates. He had planned to sell them to the Empire. If the PCs don't break, he instead jumps for the nearest Imperial world to turn the PCs in for a reward. The PCs must escape, make sure the captain and his crew don't give any vital intelligence to the Empire, and do what they can to get the parts and ship to the Fleet.

•

Return to Arumorut: The Mandalorians and Talz return to Arumorut, to find the camp abandoned and in shambles. Attacked by a Weequay mercenary band while the warriors were away, the Mandalorians that remained in Arumorut have been captured and imprisoned. The Weequay, former comrades of the Mandalorians, claim they are taking vengeance for a grievous betrayal. Vera or Nam Beroya requests the PCs' aid in rescuing their kin and ending this feud once and for all, but are the Mandalorians telling the whole truth about what happened between them and the Weequay?

•

Zygerrian Crown: Prince Molec has been invited home to Zygerria for a lavish feast. and potentially to end his unofficial exile. However. rather than being excited about the prospect of returning home, Molec is interested only in exacting revenge and increasing his power. He has a plan to assassinate his father, take the crown of Zygerria, and run the entire Zygerrian Slave Empire. The prince knows of an attack on his father's life planned to take place during the dinner. He wants the PCs to stop the attack so that they can gain the king's trust. Once they are safely in the king's inner circle, the prince wants the PCs to help him engineer his coup. This might appeal to more villainous PCs, but ethical characters will see this as extending an already odious relationship. Perhaps clever PCs could take advantage of this tense moment in Zygerrian history in order to bring down a large portion of the Slave Empire and liberate countless people from a life of misery.

Whatever direction the GM plans to take the campaign from here, there are many exciting options to pursue in the ongoing battle for the fate of the galaxy.

-STAR. WARS:

ACE 0 • ™

REBELLION RDLEPLAYlnG GAfflE

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... The Galactic Empire rules the stars with on iron fist, but when on ambitious captain of the Imperial Novy goes rogue in a bid for power, it could spell doom for the Rebel Alliance. Caught in the crosshoirs of the renegade captain, the people of Xorrn will need all the help they can get to hold out until the Rebel Fleet con come to their aid. but at what cost? The clock is ticking as a group of Rebel agents must rally what allies they can find to defend the innocent people of Xorrn against an Imperial captain with a dark secret. Can they earn the respect of notorious Mandalorian mercenaries or will they sell their souls to acquire the vast armies of the Zygerrian Slave Empire? This full-length adventure includes: • A desperate tale of warfare. diplomacy, and sacrifice perfect for seasoned characters. • Species rules for Mandalorian humans. giving players the opportunity to play the proud warriors of Mandalore. • Mini-gazetteers for Xorrn. Vlemoth Port. and Kowak. the home of the infamous monkey-lizard!

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